Investigation into 'suspicious' woodland fire

A large heath fire broke out in Bransgore on Saturday evening

A large heath fire which broke out on the border of Hampshire and Dorset is being treated as suspicious, police have said.

Firefighters were called on Saturday evening to the incident, affecting one hectare (2.4 acres) of heath and gorse in Bransgore.

Crews from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service and Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue tackled the blaze through the night and into Sunday, with a crew also returning the next day to check for hotspots.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has since confirmed an investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched.

Crews from New Milton, Lymington, Fordingbridge, Eastleigh and Beaulieu were first called at 19:35 BST and worked alongside teams from Dorset and Wiltshire to surround and put out the fire.

Residents were asked to avoid the area around Burley Road and to to close doors and windows due to the smoke in the area at the time.

The stop for the incident came in at 21:24 on Sunday.

A police spokerson explained Hampshire fire service made them aware of the blaze at 06:00 on Sunday.

"The cause of the fire is currently being treated as suspicious and officers are investigating the full circumstances surrounding the incident, with enquiries ongoing," they added.

Police are asking anyone in the area at the time of the incident to get in touch.