More than 200 hay bales were destroyed in a large fire in East Hampshire on the evening of 17th August, with emergency crews responding to the blaze in Finchdean.
Fire crews arrived to find the substantial blaze engulfing the hay bales, requiring a coordinated response from multiple stations. Two fire engines, a water carrier, and an off-road vehicle were deployed from Havant and Fareham fire stations to tackle the incident.
Firefighters used hose reel jets and knapsack pumps to surround and combat the flames. The farmer assisted efforts by using a tractor to create a firebreak, helping to prevent the fire from spreading to surrounding areas.
Ventilation fans were deployed to clear smoke from the area during the operation.
The hay bales are anticipated to continue smouldering for several days, with the farmer maintaining ongoing monitoring of the site to prevent any escalation of the situation.
Fire crews received the stop message at 19:42, though one crew returned later during the night to carry out a reinspection of the scene to ensure the area remained secure.
