A huge smoke plume could be seen for miles

A major fire broke out in a village near Fareham has been extinguished, the fire service confirmed.

The blaze erupted in fields Posbrook Lane in Titchfield, this afternoon with firefighters rushing to the scene. Smoke could be seen rising from the scene of the incident, being visible from as far away as Denmead.

The fire, now under control, started from a combine harvester. | HIWFRS

placeholder image — The fire, now under control, started from a combine harvester. | HIWFRS

Posting about the fire on social media, Councillor Julie Bird, representative for Fareham Titchfield at Hampshire County Council, said: [There is a] field on fire off of Posbrook Lane. Please avoid where you can.”

A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fire is now out following the hard work of around 40 firefighters.

Fire service on the scene in Titchfield | Marcin Jedrysiak

“The incident began with a fire involving a combine harvester, which initially spread to one field. As the incident developed, it spread into a second field, with the total area affected growing to approximately 30 hectares of standing crop.

“Crews used multiple hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze, while farm machinery was used to create fire breaks and help stop the fire from spreading further.

“Thank you to everyone who avoided the area while we dealt with the incident, and to our emergency service partners for their support.

Smoke from the blaze can reportedly be seen as far away as Clanfield - although there are also reports of a smaller fire near World's End. | Alastair Dalton

“Engines from Fareham, Gosport and Portchester were at the scene, supported by specialist vehicles and crews from Eastleigh, Havant, Lyndhurst, Hardley, Beaulieu and Andover, as well as the Incident Command Unit from service headquarters.”

The News understands that the fire came from a combine harvester, and spread to two nearby fields.