Firefighters were called to the wildfire at 6.55pm yesterday. A number of resources are now available, including support from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service.
The 1,400-acre Surrey Nature Reserve is owned by the Ministry of Defense and is part of the Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons Special Conservation Area, Special Conservation Area and Area of Special Scientific Interest.
Hankley Common is regularly used as a filming location for blockbuster films including Marvel’s Black Widow and Daniel Craig’s popular 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.
However, the wildfire at Hankley Common comes just hours after London’s fire brigade saw the capital’s record-breaking number of incidents.
They said: “London’s fire brigade have had their busiest day since the Second World War, with record temperatures leading to hundreds of blazes across the city.”
“We have declared a major incident and have worked with emergency service partners who have been working hard to keep services running in these difficult and challenging circumstances.
“By taking action, we were able to focus and prioritize our resources, recall our staff from training, call in support from other local fire and rescue services and monitor each incident as necessary.
Yesterday’s fires are yet another example of how we are being challenged by new weather patterns as our climate changes, and how we are devising long-term strategies to deal with such disasters in the future.
