Firefighters are continuing to tackle a wildfire in the New Forest, Hampshire, which started on Sunday
Temperatures are forecast to reach 30C as crews work to contain the blaze for a fourth day
The leader of Hampshire County Council says the situation remains "unpredictable"
An area the size of about 230 football pitches has been affected by the fire, authorities say
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the fire at the national park is "a great concern"
The blaze began when a van caught fire on the A31 on Sunday and 23 drivers had to abandon their vehicles as the fire took hold
There is significant damage to the road, and National Highways say they don't know when it will reopen
People are being urged to stay away from the area, as Forestry England spokeswoman Esta Mion says the fire is "unpredictable" and the firefighting operation could last for days
Residents are asked to reduce water use as firefighting operation puts extra strain on supplies
Written by Indy Almroth Wright and edited by Toby Wadey
About 100 firefighters remain at the heathland fire this afternoon.
Hampshire crews have been joined by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue and London Fire Brigade.
A spokesperson says the crews have "a good hold of the perimeter of the fire".
They say they are facing "changing wind conditions" that are continuing to prove challenging and advise residents affected by smoke to close doors and windows.
The firefighters are using specialist equipment to help extinguish the fire, including thermal imaging cameras, the spokesperson adds.
The wildfire in the New Forest is one of several to have ignited amid the continued hot and dry weather.
It has brought the issue of resources across the country into the spotlight again, with the Fire Brigades Union saying there have been difficulties recruiting on-call firefighters, and a steep fall in overall firefighter numbers.
This has led to fewer available fire engines and appliances, increasing pressure on services, the union says.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is responsible for fire services, says it will ensure fire services have the resources they need.
"This includes making almost £1.95bn available for fire services in England, and investing nearly £100m in the biggest upgrade to national resilience in almost 20 years," a spokesperson says.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the New Forest fire is a "great concern".
He made the comment on a visit to Stevenage earlier.
“There is obviously a significant problem of wildfires in the South," he added.
The fire in the New Forest started after flames spread from a van on the A31.
However, the blaze has also prompted warnings about the use of disposable BBQs in high risk areas – with Burnham confirming he is considering a ban.
He will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee later to discuss the UK's response to the extreme heat, as temperatures are set to soar again.
Residents are being urged to save water where possible as firefighting continues.
Bournemouth Water, which supplies the New Forest, has asked residents to use "water wisely as prolonged heatwave and recent fires drive exceptional demand".
The message was shared earlier by the leader of Hampshire County Council.
Posting on Facebook Nick Adams-King asked people to "reduce unnecessary water use because the continuing firefighting operation is placing additional pressure on local supplies".
The area affected by the fire is now estimated to be 400 acres (1.6 sq km), the leader of Hampshire County Council says.
That is the equivalent to the area of about 230 football pitches.
In an update this morning, Nick Adams-King says the situation remains "unpredictable".
"Today will be particularly challenging with temperatures around 30C and very hot, dry conditions expected to continue into tomorrow," he says.
He also urges people to "please stay away from the Bratley View and Bolderwood area and keep all gateways, verges and tracks clear for fire engines and other emergency vehicles."
New Forest District Council, external has issued advice to those in areas that may be affected by smoke from the fire.
It says air quality assessment and monitoring "have not currently shown any noted increases in pollution levels in the area with air pollution levels rated as low".
However, monitoring stations are some distance from the fire, and changing wind conditions may affect smoke levels.
Pollution is expected to increase to moderate levels on Wednesday and Thursday due to rising temperatures.
The council says air quality will continue to be monitored and further advice will be issued if needed. If smoke is affecting you the council advises:
With temperatures in the New Forest set to rise above 30C today, one of the key thresholds of the 30-30-30 wildfire rule is expected to be met.
The rule is used by fire experts to highlight conditions linked to extreme wildfire behaviour: temperatures above 30C, humidity below 30% and winds above 30km/h (18mph).
While the temperature is likely to be reached, humidity is currently at about 69% in the area and winds are expected to stay below the threshold at around 16km/h (10mph).
That means the full 30-30-30 rule is not currently expected to be met.
Even so, the hot and dry conditions could make the wildfire more difficult to bring under control.
The forecast in Ringwood today shows temperatures are set to reach 30C.
There is no rain expected over the coming days and, according to BBC Weather forecasts, the earliest chance of rain is on Monday, when there are signs that some light showers might arrive.
It comes after we saw the driest July in both England and Wales since records began in 1836. Southern England had its driest calendar month on record.
Firefighters from Hampshire and and beyond are on the frontline of the heathland fire.
These striking photos from a crew usually based in Beaminster, Dorset, show them tackling the blaze in tough conditions, surrounded by the blackened landscape.
In a statement issued last night, the fire service says road closures will remain in place for at least the next 48 hours.
It describes the situation as "complex" and that it needs to ensure everyone is kept safe.
"National Highways teams have assessed the damage caused by the fire and significant repairs are required to the road surface, road safety barrier and boundary fencing," the statement adds.
"These repairs can only be carried out once it’s safe to do so.
"We know this may cause disruption and are grateful to the community for their patience, understanding and support."
Firefighters are set to face a challenging day tackling the heathland fire, with temperatures of 30C forecast for later in the day.
In a statement, Hampshire fire service says: "Challenging terrain and limited access to the remote location continue to make firefighting operations difficult, and the high temperatures forecast for today are expected to add to those challenges."
It adds that its work overnight focused on containing the fire and managing hotspots and flare-ups.
Road closures are expected to remain in place over the coming days.
The fire service says the closures are needed to help keep everyone safe and ensure its crews and other responders can access the scene safely.
In addition, the damage to the stretch of the A31 from the fire along with its safety barrier and fencing will need to be fixed once it is safe to do so.
"We are grateful to the community for their patience, understanding and support," the fire service said.
New Forest National Park Authority has thanked the huge numbers of extremely kind offers of help "in many shapes and forms".
It said right now firefighters working at the heathland fire had everything they currently needed.
It added: "Your help and support will be greatly appreciated later and we’ll keep you informed."It has urged people to:
More roads have been shut as the operation to contain the fire continues.
The closures came into effect from 18:00 BST on Tuesday and include Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive in Brockenhurst, from the A35 junction, and Bolderwood Road west of Emery Down, from the New Forest Inn junction.
All Forestry England car parks along these routes are also shut and car parks near the area of the fire remain closed until further notice.
The A31 remains closed in both directions with diversions in place.
The westbound carriageway is shut between the M27 junction 2 for Ower and the A338 at Ringwood.
The eastbound carriageway is closed between the A338 and junction 1 of the M27 at Cadnam.
Roads on the diversion routes and surrounding area are expected to be very busy – as they were on Monday and Tuesday.
Firefighters from Hampshire and beyond have spent a third night in the New Forest working to contain the fire and prevent further spread.
It now covers an area of 1.6 sq km (400 acres).
We will continue to bring you the latest updates throughout the day.
Firefighters from Hampshire and beyond have spent a third day in the New Forest trying to contain the spread of the blaze, which now covers 1.6 sq km (400 acres).
Here's a summary of Tuesday's main developments:
We're now pausing our live coverage, but we'll be back tomorrow with the latest updates.
Red Shoot Camping Park has announced that it has banned all BBQs that are not gas powered.
In a statement the team said: "Given the exceptionally dry conditions and the current fire situation, please be reminded that fires and the burning of wood are absolutely prohibited on the park at all times."
They added: "In addition, until further notice, BBQs will only be permitted if they are gas powered. We will no longer allow charcoal or other solid-fuel BBQs."
Roads, including the A31 dual carriageway, will remain shut until at least Thursday, Hampshire's fire service has said.
Posting on Facebook in the last few minutes, the service said it was preparing for a third night of firefighting.
It said: "Road closures are expected to remain in place for at least the next 48 hours while emergency services continue to respond to this complex and ongoing incident.
"Significant repairs are required to the road surface, road safety barrier and boundary fencing.
"These repairs can only be carried out once it’s safe to do so.
"We know this may cause disruption and are grateful to the community for their patience, understanding and support."
Fire stations have been sharing pictures of their crews in action.
Firefighters have been tackling the fire, which started from a van, for days
People have been sharing their appreciation for the firefighters' work
The wildfire is burning for the third day
Residents have been asked to reduce water use, as the firefighting operation puts extra strain on supplies
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