Forestry England assess the impact of the New Forest wildfire

20 August 2026

Forestry England assess the impact of the New Forest wildfire 

The wildfire on heathland in the New Forest has destroyed an area of over 100 hectares which will take many years to recover, according to Forestry England who have carried out an initial assessment at the site of the fire. 

A specialist team from Forestry England have mapped the area affected by the fire to assess the level of damage to the landscape. 

Large sections of heathland have been burnt removing all vegetation including heathers, gorse and pillwort, a rare plant found in the New Forest. Burning deep into the ground the fire has also destroyed layers of seed banks under the soils. 

A significant number of ancient beech and oak trees which have been standing at this site for hundreds of years have also been destroyed as the fire penetrated their root systems. 

The strength of the fire at its peak also resulted in the bogs in the area, the most resilient to heat, being burnt and partially destroyed. 

With so many habitats destroyed there will have been a significant impact on wildlife in the area. Yesterday, a team of specialists from Forestry England and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust carried out an animal rescue. A considerable number of wildlife had sadly been destroyed however the team were able to carry out rescues and relocate surviving species to nearby areas of the Forest. 

Forestry England are now working on plans to help the area recover drawing on considerable experience of restoring areas affected by fire including the large-scale heathland fire in Wareham, Dorset that took place in May 2020. 

The site of the recent New Forest wildfire is very close to another area of forest damaged by a fire almost 40 years ago which has now been restored. The team plans to use cuttings from heather at this site to create a protective layer over the affected area to help the soils recover and reseed the site. 

Michael Pittock, Head of Planning and Environment at Forestry England said: 

“It is devastating to walk around the area of the wildfire and see so much destruction especially on heathland which is such a rare and important habitat. 

“A large area is damaged, but we are also very aware that without the remarkable response from the fire and emergency services it could have been so much worse. We are extremely grateful to them and all of the local partners and members of the community who have supported the New Forest during this difficult time. 

“It will take decades for nature to fully recover but there are things we can do to help. Our teams will be working hard to support the area drawing on their experience of similar incidents and our ongoing restoration of heathlands across the New Forest. We will also be working closely with partners to support the recovery and build resilience across the Forest.”