Burning bush in Eastney tackled by firefighters

The incident took place shortly before 3pm today in Fort Cumberland Road, Eastney.

Two pumps from Southsea fire station were tasked with putting out the fire in the bush, which measured approximately 15 metres wide and 10 metres high.

Arpit Patel, from Clanfield, was on the way to the beach with his family when he saw the drama unfold.

The 29-year-old said: ‘We were driving past and saw there was fire. We stopped to see what it was and we got out and a lady who was walking her dog said there was a large fire.

‘The fire engines were there with firefighters trying to get rid of it. We could see thick black smoke.’

Aprit’s friend Ryan Hughes, from Waterlooville, was also in the car.

The 20-year-old said: ‘I saw thick black smoke blowing into the road. We said “shall we go have a look?” so we went and parked up round in one of the stony car parks.

‘We got out the car walked up through the field from the other end of where the smoke was coming.

‘We saw something that was on fire in a field close to the bushes, so we called 999.’