More than 200 hay bales destroyed in large blaze

More than 200 hay bales were destroyed in this fire in East Hampshire yesterday evening (17th August).

These shots show what our crews were faced with when they arrived on scene in Finchdean.

Two fire engines, a water carrier and an off-road vehicle came from Havant and Fareham fire stations.

Hose reel jets and knapsack pumps were used to surround and tackle the flames whilst the farmer created a firebreak using a tractor to prevent the blaze spreading further.

Ventilation fans were used to clear smoke from the scene.

The bales are expected to continue to smoulder for the next few days with the farmer continuing to monitor the scene to prevent escalation.

The stop message came in at 19:42 prior to one crew returning later in the night to conduct a reinspection of the scene.