Army explosives training caused forest fire at Hampshire camp, says MoD

Plumes of smoke from the fire could be seen from miles around

A fire at a military firing range that burned for several days began during explosives training, the MoD has said.

The blaze, which started on 16 June, destroyed 16 hectares of forest and scrubland at Longmoor Camp, Hampshire.

The MoD said the ground was pre-soaked with water and explosive charges were elevated off the ground in areas with no vegetation.

Each site was also checked for signs of fire between every explosion, they added.

At its height, 20 appliances from across Hampshire along with firefighters from Surrey were involved

A drone was used to monitor for signs of fire from above and fire beaters, extinguishers and a water bowser were held in readiness for use, the MoD told BBC News.

The MoD's statement does not detail when the fire was discovered and if they tried to tackle it.

Crews spent five days at the training site and were hampered in getting the fire under control by the dry conditions and brisk winds.

Apologising for any inconvenience caused to residents, an MoD spokesperson said: "We take our role preventing and controlling fires on the defence estate extremely seriously and we use significant mitigations to reduce risk.

Over 16 hectares woodland and scrubland were destroyed in the fire

"An investigation continues into the fire at Longmoor training area to examine how this can be prevented in the future."

Large plumes of smoke from the blaze could be seen from miles around.

People living around the A325 area were advised to keep windows and doors shut for two days.

Hampshire fire service has been asked to comment. The Health and Safety Executive said the incident has not been reported to them

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