Major road shut after car bursts into flames causing standstill traffic as huge fire spreads with smoke seen for miles

A MAJOR road has been shut after a van burst into flames bring the traffic to a standstill, as a huge fire sends smoke into the sky which can be seen for miles. Cops ordered drivers to move to the side of the road when flames from the vehicle ignited “tinderbox bracken” on the westbound A31 near the New Forest in Hampshire on Sunday afternoon. The vehicle fire brought traffic to a standstill oni the A31 Credit: Nenad Žilić The vehicle fire spread across the road and onto heathland nearby Credit: Nenad Žilić A policewoman told drivers to get out of their cars and move to the central reservation “If you want to stay alive,” reports say. Later, a firefighter was overheard saying to a police officer: “We want all the cars and people off the carriageway. Unattended cars are basically bombs when they go off.” Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! A fire chief at the scene said: “We believe it was a van that caught fire on the road and that set alight to the shrubs at the side of the road.” The driver of the van is thought to have escaped the blaze. Cops were reportedly telling drivers to leave their vehicles Credit: Jess Skelton Drivers were told to pull over to the side of the road Credit: Copythorne, Cadnam, Winsor, Newbridge, Bramshaw, Bartley News · Another fire officer said the blaze was out of control and would not be contained until at least tomorrow. Motorists told how flames spread across both sides of the dual carriageway, around a mile from the Canadian War Memorial just north-east of Shobley. One driver said: “It happened so fast. Some drivers just went straight through the flames. Others did emergency stops, turned around and tried to get back along the carriageway. It was sheer panic.” Libbi Aldred, 36, said she had been on the A31 when cars in front of her slowed down and put their hazard warning lights on. Most read in The Sun The vehicle fire started around a mile from the Canadian War Memorial just north-east of Shobley Credit: Alamy Traffic came to a standstill due to the blaze Credit: Jess Skelton She added there was a fire “in the middle” of the road along with “smoke” and “billowing” flames. The dog trainer from Hightown, Hampshire, said another driver, a grandfather who had his grandchildren with him, saw two cars in front go through the flames. He, along with other drivers turned around and began to head towards the previous exit but Ms Aldred said police told them to remain in their cars. She said: “We didn’t take that advice. The flames started coming towards us”. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from the Royal Victoria Country Park, 16 miles away, the Dorset Echo reports. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said they received more than 160 emergency calls reporting a vehicle on fire on the eastbound A31 at about 5.24pm on Sunday. Twenty-six fire engines, four water carriers, six off-road vehicles and several command vehicles were at the site near Ringwood, according to the fire service. The fire service said: “The fire spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland. “Crews from across Hampshire, supported by colleagues from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, are currently attending the incident.” The A31 is closed between Picket Post and junction two of the M27. Motorists have been urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes whenever possible. The fire service added: “Please follow diversion signs, allow extra time for your journey and avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work safely.” Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident on Sunday as two large fires in woodland put a strain on resources. Several wildfires have broken out in the UK over recent weeks, including large blazes at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. Hot weather continued to build on Sunday, with the south and south-eastern parts of England expected to have the highest temperatures. According to the Fire Severity Index, any wildfires are likely to be exceptionally severe on Sunday in almost all of the east and south-east of England. “Exceptional” severity is its highest ranking. The Met Office data includes rainfall, temperature and humidity, and agencies use the index to assess the severity of fire if it starts. It does not cover the chances of wildfires occurring. Heatwave conditions will likely return next week, with a high of 36C expected in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday, according to the Met Office. So far the extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths. Two more heatwaves in July, the driest July in England and Wales since records began in 1836, have fuelled drought and wildfires. Comment now