Motorists were forced to abandon their cars and walk miles down a main road in searing heat to escape a major wildfire on New Forest heathland at the weekend.
The fire spread from a van on the A31 near Ringwood in Hampshire is still burning today with smoke visible from 30 miles away in Portsmouth, and some cars still in the area.
It comes as England’s record-breaking drought continues with 27million people now under a hosepipe ban; further areas set to be placed into an official drought today; more than 50 days without rain; and a sixth heatwave of the year later
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