A £1million house has been gutted by a blaze in the New Forest.

An investigation has been launched into how flames ripped through the five-bedroom property this morning near the Hangersley junction, Ringwood.

More than 40 firefighters in six engines rushed to the scene at around 6.40am and battled the flames for hours. No one was hurt.

There is no suggestion the fire was started deliberately, but Hampshire Fire and Rescue service said the investigation could take days.

Group manager Andy Fox, from Hampshire Fire and Rescue, said that the fire would take some hours to control before the house was safe enough to enter.

“It was going really well before we even got here,” he said, adding: “There’s nothing to salvage because the property is empty.”

A 50ft plume of smoke was from the A31, with glass heard cracking and shattering under the pressure of the heat.

Because the roof has been destroyed, fire crews had to weave the water from their jets through the broken windows to tackle flames in the gable end.

Group manager Andy Fox, from Dorset Fire and Rescue, said the fire may have been going for more than an hour before they arrived on scene.

He said that despite access to mains water and six engines each carrying 1.8 tonnes of water, the fire is still going both storeys.

One resident said: "It's not so much the bricks and mortar. It's a lovely old house with a lot of history."

The house, Holly Hill, sits in 11 acres of land, with two acres of SSSI land. It was completely rennovated in 2010, and is believed to have had more work done recently.

Shane Phayer, who lives nearby, rushed out to see if anyone was inside after his mum Bobbie saw the flames. 

Neighbours helped turn traffic back before the cordon and divert them back to the main road.

Traffic became heavy on the A31 as drivers slowed to look at the smoke, but congestion cleared by 9am.

This article has been updated to reflect verified details of the property, Holly Hill. Initial information about another house, wrongly named in a fire service callout, has been removed.