Emergency crews close off Eastney Esplanade amid incident

The incident on Eastney Esplanade, near The Yomper, saw eight firefighters from Southsea battle flames in the undergrowth at 6.50pm.

Crews put out the fire using hose reels and breathing apparatus after nearly an hour while the Esplanade was closed off for public safety.

Chris Norgate, Southsea crew manager, said: ‘Undergrowth was alight and because it was dry the fire had taken hold.

‘We spent about 45 minutes extinguishing the fire and damping down. The road was closed off for public safety.’

He added: ‘It’s not known what caused the fire.’

A number of police cars were on scene with reports an individual had been arrested.

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