Huge fire breaks out in Surrey parkland where Skyfall was filmed

The fire service said it was called just after midday to Hankley Common in Surrey and that it expects crews to remain at the scene until at least Monday - Peter Macdiarmid/LNP

A major incident was declared in Surrey on Sunday as a wildfire took over 20 acres of a nature reserve.

Firefighters were called to Hankley Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Farnham, just after midday on Sunday, with 19 vehicles attending. Surrey Fire and Rescue were helped by crews from West Sussex and Hampshire.

People were told to stay “far away from the fire as it can travel quickly”, roads were closed and residents were advised to close windows and doors if they could smell smoke, and to keep their pets inside.

The Surrey fire happened as the London Fire Brigade said it was fighting a “significant” number of weather-related fires over the weekend. They urged people to cancel all barbecues, dispose of cigarettes properly and remove rubbish and particularly glass from grassland.

The smoke from the Surrey fire spread miles from its source. Visitors to the Thorpe Park theme park in Chertsey, Surrey, tweeted that: “I can barely breathe” and “the whole park is covered”.

Anyone know what’s going on with all the smoke at @THORPEPARK ? The whole park is covered

— odhran Penfold (@Odhran05) July 24, 2022

Residents across west London also complained of smoke, with the runways of Heathrow Airport appearing cloudy because of it.

Hankley Common is 1,400-acres of woodland and heath, owned by the Ministry of Defence and used as a military training area.

The site is also regularly used as a filming location, for blockbuster films like Marvel’s Black Widow, or several James Bond films like The World is not Enough, Die Another Day and Skyfall.

Fire services decalre a major incident because of a large blaze at a beauty spot in Surrey

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service tweeted: “We have declared a major incident at Hankley Common due to a large fire in the open.

“We have several fire engines in attendance. There is a great deal of smoke so please avoid the area, windows and doors should be closed if nearby and pets kept indoors.”

They added that: “At this time the cause is unknown.

“Please help keep our outdoors safe: pack a picnic instead of a disposable bbq & dispose of cigarettes correctly.”

Large #wildfire in Hankley Common, West Surrey which has been declared a major incident.
Smoke has reached as far as Heathrow airport.
The very warm, dry & windy conditions of recent isn't helping the situation in any way.#ukweather #firepic.twitter.com/2KFxexllrN

— MetWatch (@MetWatchUK) July 24, 2022

Another fire took out around 20 acres of land in Kent on Saturday, with a brave farmer trying to protect his neighbour’s field.

Video footage showed Bill Alexander's tractor ploughing through the remaining crops alongside the fire in Lenham Heath, as flames fast approached the vehicle.

Andy Barr, the owner of the field, praised the "heroics" of his neighbour attempting to salvage his crops on Twitter.

Eight fire engines were reportedly called to the scene, which covered around 20 acres of land, and firefighters spent 90 minutes putting out the blaze.

Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing from the parkland in Surrey on Sunday, as a major incident was declared

A spokesperson for the Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were sent to reports of a standing crop fire in fields on Lenham Heath.

"Crews worked hard to get the fire under control which covered approximately eight hectares, the equivalent of almost 20 acres.

"The blaze has been brought under control and put out. Firefighters escorted persons who were in the vicinity to safety."

They added: "Unfortunately, with this sort of incident it is almost impossible to precisely determine the cause as there are a number of possibilities including malicious ignition, discarded glass or other reflective material, carelessly disposed smoking materials or sparks from bonfires or barbecues.

"Our log shows the cause in this case as unknown."

The field where the fire broke out is beside the M20, and plumes of white smoke were visible from the motorway.

A long queue of lorries could also be seen in the footage near the fire, a result of the second day of travel chaos at the Port of Dover.

The blaze comes as the UK experienced a string of wildfires this week, leaving homes and villages decimated across the country amid record 40.3C heat.

Fire crews were called throughout the week to fires in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Suffolk , Leicestershire and South Yorkshire.