New Forest wildfire cost estimated at £600,000

A record-breaking wildfire in a national park is estimated to have cost a fire service £600,000.

More than 1 sq km (247 acres) of the New Forest was destroyed after the fire spread from a blazing van on 9 August.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority said the incident was the largest in the brigade's history.

Chief financial officer Rob Sarfas told a fire authority meeting the blaze required around 5,500 hours of firefighter time.

He said: "We think the number is approximately £600,000 for that incident, in terms of additional cost."

The fire closed the A31 - a major tourist and commuter route between Hampshire and Dorset - for nearly two weeks.

It came during an exceptionally busy summer for firefighters, the authority heard.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight crews dealt with around 1,400 outdoor fires in July and August, including 75 classified as wildfires, a 52% increase on the same period last year.

The service had been forecasting a £1.2m underspend at the end of the first quarter of the financial year, before the cost of the summer response became clear.

The authority has asked the government to help cover some of the cost of responding to the wildfire, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is responsible for fire services, previously said it would ensure fire services have the resources they need.

A spokesperson said: "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."

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Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority