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The fire broke out on the National Trust-owned Headon Warren, a site of special scientific interest overlooking Totland Bay, in tinder-dry conditions during the current heatwave.
Crews were initially called to what was described as a “gorse fire” affecting around 150 metres by 150 metres of heathland, but the blaze spread rapidly through the rare habitat.
Hampshire and IW Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) later confirmed the fire front had grown to around 1,000 metres by 800 metres – a vast area of the hill and coastal slope.
Burnt wooden blocks found after Fire at Headon Warren (Image: Just A Wash IOW)
Firefighters at the scene have told the County Press they believe the blaze started from a ‘man-made fire’ which then jumped into the surrounding gorse.
They found remains of burnt wooden blocks close to the origin point and say the flames then raced away in the dry vegetation.
The incident comes just a week after our front-page report, in which nearby B&B owners David and Jane Blake warned of the wildfire risk at Headon Warren, recalling a major blaze there in 1989.
Earlier today, more than 65 firefighters from across the Island and the mainland were sent to tackle the flames, with that figure rising to around 80 by 6pm as fresh crews arrived to relieve those who had been on the hill since this morning.
The fire raging earlier today (Image: Paul Blackley)
Appliances from Newport, Cowes, Ventnor, Freshwater, Shanklin, East Cowes, Ryde and Sandown were sent to the Warren, supported by mainland teams from Southsea, Lymington, Emsworth, Portchester, St Mary’s, Hardley, Havant and Hightown.
HIWFRS also brought additional engines across the Solent to provide cover for further incidents on the Island.
Crews have been using water jets, hose lines and specialist off-road vehicles in difficult terrain, working in hot, smoky conditions along narrow footpaths and on steep slopes above the sea.
Wightlink said it is “doing all we can to assist,” transporting multiple fire engines across the Solent to get crews to the scene as quickly as possible.
Firefighters from across the Island are tackling the fire (Image: Paul Blackley)
The ferry operator initially reported carrying nine engines via its Portsmouth route and one via Lymington, later updating the figure to 11 from Portsmouth and five from Lymington, and confirmed that some sailings had been held or delayed to prioritise blue-light vehicles.
It is also preparing to carry Rapid Relief Team UK to the Island to provide hot meals, refreshments and welfare support to exhausted crews.
Farmers have joined the firefighting effort, using tractors to cut fire breaks into the heath and help contain the spread of the flames.
The Waterfront Bar and Restaurant at Totland Bay has told customers it will be closing the steps from Turf Walk down to the venue from about 7.30pm this evening, for around 36 hours, so firefighters can safely extract water from the sea to fight the blaze.
Fire crews battling the blaze (Image: Paul Blackley)
National Trust rangers are on site, supporting the fire service and monitoring the impact on the landscape.
The Trust has warned that heathland is one of the UK’s rarest habitats, supporting some of the Island’s most precious wildlife, and that “decades of conservation work” can be lost in a matter of hours in a blaze like this.
Several footpaths leading up to Headon Warren have been cordoned off, and members of the public are being asked to avoid the area entirely.
At the same time, firefighting operations continue, keeping access routes clear for emergency vehicles.
An aerial view of the site this morning, before the fire grew to a significantly larger area (Image: County Press)
HIWFRS has received multiple reports of smoke drifting across both sides of the Solent, and anyone affected is being advised to keep doors and windows closed.
The service has urged people to check whether the smell of smoke in their area is linked to another incident and, if so, to call 999.
As crews work late into the day to bring the incident under control, both HIWFRS and the National Trust have issued a strong appeal for people to take extra care in the countryside.
They are urging visitors not to light barbecues or campfires, not to discard cigarettes or matches, and to take all litter home – warning that even a single spark or a discarded glass bottle can trigger a devastating fire in the current dry spell.
HIWFRS says teams will be working into the night and expects to maintain a presence at Headon Warren throughout tomorrow.