Visitors told to avoid Frensham Great Pond area
CAR PARK CLOSED DUE TO HANKLEY COMMON FIRE
A WARNING has been issued to people wishing to visit one of Surrey’s most popular attractions with the car park being shut until further notice.
Visitors have not been able to park at Frensham Great Pond and Common or Frensham Pond sailing club with people being told to avoid the area.
In a tweet sent out last Wednesday, Waverley Police said: “Please be aware that the car parks at Frensham Pond sailing club and Frensham Great Pond and Common are closed until further notice and we advise people to avoid the area.”
The warning came as firefighters continued to dampen down the hotspots at Hankley Common following the huge wildfire on Sunday July 24 that caused smoke to be seen as far away as Wembley.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) provided an update three days after 50 hectares at the nature reserve were burnt, and wrote on Twitter: “Our operations are ongoing, with eight vehicles in attendance, including a command unit. We also have two officers at the scene. It is important that you avoid the Common today as our firefighting activities continue”.
A helicopter was used last Wednesday to mitigate the spread of the fire and water was being collected by firefighters at Frensham Pond. The fire had resulted in Surrey’s fire service declaring the blaze a “major incident”.
At its height, 19 fire crews were battling the flames across the heathland. That was later scaled back, but drone images and an aerial photo captured the trail of smoke that had engulfed the west of the county.
Thorpe Park published a tweet after a visitor said the theme park was “covered” in smoke, while another said they could “barely breathe”.
In response, Thorpe Park said: “We were made aware of a fire on Hankley Common which has been declared as a major incident. We believe this was the source of the smell and smoke at the resort today. The land surrounding Thorpe Park has been checked and will continue to be monitored”.
Residents living on a road that borders Hankley Common were allowed to return to their homes on Tuesday last week after having been evacuated.
The 1,400-acre nature reserve in Elstead, near Farnham, is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is part of the Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The popular beauty spot is one of the county’s most famous locations and a hotspot for film crews, with blockbusters such as Skyfall, First World War epic 1917 and Black Widow all being shot there.