Wildfire now 'contained' with cause unclear

A woodland wildfire which is now under control will remain a "lengthy operation due to the depth of the burning to the ground", the fire service has said.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was called to woodland close to the Barnett Hill Hotel outside Guildford at about 22:00 BST on Thursday.

Paul Risbridger, SFRS station commander, said firefighters "contained" the wildfire last night and the cause was currently unknown.

It is "unusual to get wildfires that start at night", he told BBC Radio Surrey.

Risbridger said attendance has now been reduced down from nine to five appliances.

There were "access issues" due to the location of the wildfire, he said.

The wildfire affected about a hectare of land, which the commander said was "a considerable size".

Firefighters have been busy in recent weeks, as multiple heatwaves have increased the risk of wildfire.

There have been a number of wildfires across the county, including in Fetcham and Shepperton.

The cause of this latest incident is unknown, though the commander has a theory.

"I would suspect that it was burning for a while but just wasn't noticed, just because of the thickness of the trees and the undergrowth there," he said.

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