Ashdown Forest, the land that served as A.A. Milne's inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood, has been on fire since Sunday, with about 50 acres destroyed as of Monday night.
The forest is in England's Sussex County. A spokesman for the fire service told BBC News the undergrowth was "very dry in the forest, despite the recent rain, and the fire caught quite quickly." Investigators do not believe the blaze was intentionally set. In February, two fires were accidentally started in the forest by volunteers who were there to help with a controlled burn.
This latest fire has destroyed an unknown number of bird eggs and nests, forest ranger Chris Sutton told BBC News. "Reptiles like adders and lizards would not have been able to move fast enough," he added. "Large animals like foxes and deer would have been able to move out of the area quite quickly." Within four weeks of the fire being completely out, there should be grass growing again, Sutton said, "and in six months you probably won't know too much has gone on here."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The UK-made Storm Shadow missiles Ukraine is using in RussiaThe Explainer Ukraine reportedly deployed the long-range British missiles this week, following a tense meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump
-
Dry skin, begone! 8 products to keep your skin supple while travelingThe Week Recommends Say goodbye to dry and hello to hydration
-
Sudoku medium: October 23, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Renewables top coal as Trump seeks reversalSpeed Read For the first time, renewable energy sources generated more power than coal, said a new report
-
China vows first emissions cut, sidelining USSpeed Read The US, the world’s No. 2 emitter, did not attend the New York summit
-
At least 800 dead in Afghanistan earthquakespeed read A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
