FIREFIGHTERS have warned the public about the dangers of bonfires after a tree caught fire in the New Forest yesterday.

Crews from New Milton and Burley fire stations attended the incident at Harrow Wood Pond, Lyndhurst Road just after 4.30pm where a bonfire had become out of control.

A tree had to be felled after the fire spread across a small area of the riverbank and set it alight.

Following the incident, on a day where temperatures reached 18°C, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Urban Search and Rescue Team took to social media to warn the public.

“Please be mindful of fire while in the countryside #hotweather #dry #carelessnesscausesfires,” the team wrote.