The fire is under control but the operation to contain it could last for several days, according to Forestry England, which manages about half of the New Forest National Park.

Spokeswoman Esta Mion says: "What I have been told by the staff on site is that it is controlled, in that they have managed to contain it.

"There are still flames on site - I've seen pictures myself this afternoon - but it is under control.

"It's nowhere near as bad as it was at the height of the fire last night. But we are very much asking people to stay away... it's unpredictable.

"We just don't know how long this incident could go on for. We're certainly thinking it could be the next few days for sure," Mion adds.

Image source, David Martin

The fire is beginning to have an effect on the hospitality trade, according to New Forest businesses.

"Lyndhurst itself is very quiet today," says cafe owner Jo Cowley.

"It's a big tourist road, the A31. I think it probably will affect us for most of the week.

"There's a lot of HGVs, a lot of vans passing through. We're getting customers in, but it's nowhere near the customers you would expect.

"We've had deliveries that are two or three hours late. It's gridlock out there."

At the Sir Walter Tyrrell pub, near the Rufus Stone landmark in the forest, only three tables are taken, according to assistant manager Vieira Liddy.

She says they are considering whether to tell staff not to come to work.

The extent of the fire and the operation to contain it have been captured by the BBC News helicopter.

You can watch a video feed of the images at the top of this page.

Image source, Frankie Peck

Image source, Frankie Peck

Traffic is being diverted from the closed A31 dual carriageway and some rural roads are struggling to cope.

Motorist and BBC journalist Frankie Peck, who is with her husband and two children, fears they will miss their evening flight from Bournemouth Airport to see her sister in Spain.

"Diversions through the forest, down one-track lanes, and it’s been horrendous," she says.

"We’ve seen trucks, lorries with trailers, and no joke, a guy pulling a speedboat trying to get through.

"My husband has basically walked the last three miles trying to clear space between the cars, and helping cars get through.

"These single track roads just aren’t cut out for this level of traffic, and especially not all the larger vehicles, like trucks pulling trailers and caravans, who are making it even harder to pass through.

"My advice to any other drivers would be to only make a journey if absolutely necessary.”

Water is being pumped along an 8km (5-mile) pipeline to fight the fire.

The pipe was laid overnight to draw water from Hightown Lake, near Ringwood, to combat the flames at Bratley Wood.

It is capable of pumping about 1,300 litres of water a minute, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has said.

Video from a police drone appears to show the path of the fire through the New Forest.

The origin - a van fire - can be seen beside the A31 dual carriageway at the point of a triangle of scorched vegetation.

The wind then blew the flames along a widening path through the forest, sending up clouds of heavy smoke.

Image source, HFRS

There are more than 120 firefighters at the site of the heathland fire covering a 1sqkm (0.6 mile) area off of the A31, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service has said in a new update.

It said they were "battling the heat and arduous terrain" to prevent the fire spreading further, and it expected the 10 fire engines and 13 off-road vehicles in attendance to be present until at least midnight, although they were "likely to be required for longer".

A spokesperson said: "We are grateful for the support from our neighbouring fire services, as well as others from across the country who are working alongside our firefighters with specialist vehicles and equipment, to resolve this incident.

"We know that the A31 is a crucial part of our road network, and in these summer months, many of you will want to go out to enjoy the New Forest, but we ask that you continue to avoid this area, with road closures still in place, whilst our teams work to save this part of our beautiful countryside."

National Highways has said there is still no estimated time for when the A31 will reopen.

"Contractors are also in attendance and have advised that there is significant damage to the road surface, road safety barrier and boundary fencing as a result of the fire and a subsequent oil spillage from the burnt out vehicle.

"All of which will require emergency repairs when safe to do so," a statement said.

This is the scene that greeted firefighters as they arrived at the van fire on the A31 on Sunday evening, which had begun to spread to nearby New Forest heathland.

Cab footage from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service shows the traffic tailing back while large plumes of smoke billowed up from the heath.

Part of the M27 has ground to a near halt as firefighters continue to tackle the blaze in the New Forest.

Traffic can be seen queuing for miles on the motorway’s westbound carriageway, as junction 2 for Ower remains closed.

Cars and lorries are backed up across all three lanes, with tailbacks stretching past junction 3 for Southampton and as far as Rownhams Services.

The closure affects the entire westbound stretch between Ower and the A338 at Ringwood, while the eastbound carriageway is also shut between the A338 and junction 1 at Cadnam.

There is also congestion in and around Lyndhurst as traffic is diverted through the village.

A New Forest resident captured these images of the damage caused by the fire at Bratley Wood.

Image source, Colin Bunday

Image source, Colin Bunday

Image source, Colin Bunday

Dramatic footage from Sunday evening shows how quickly the flames spread.

It started with a van catching fire before spreading to vegetation on both sides of the A31.

Nenad Žilić captured the scenes as the fire moved towards Bratley Wood and the surrounding heathland.

Police say 23 cars were abandoned on the A31 after the fire broke out on Sunday evening.

The force has issued advice on how motorists can get their vehicles back.

National Highways says the road surface and a crash barrier sustained significant damage following the fire and oil spillage from the burnt-out vehicle.

It says there is no estimated time for reopening the road.

Image source, Forestry England

In a statement, Forestry England describes the fire as "significant".

It says the flames initially spread from the A31 to Bratley Wood and has since extended to the surrounding area.

It says car parks at Bratley View, the Canadian Memorial and Bolderwood have been closed and are likely to stay closed all week to allow access for the emergency services.

“We continue to ask the public to avoid the area and to leave gateways and gravel access tracks clear to allow the fire services and our staff to manage the incident," it says.

"Incidents like this can be devastating to all of the things that make the New Forest so special. Our team will be carefully assessing the impact once the incident is fully resolved."

The fire is estimated to have affected more than 100 hectares (247 acres) of heathland, Forestry England says.

That is about the size of 140 football pitches.

Image source, Google

With the A31 still closed in both directions, Bournemouth Airport has issued a advice to passengers.

It says anyone intending to travel or meet passengers should allow plenty of extra time for your journey to the airport at Hurn near Bournemouth.

The fire has raised concerns about its potential impact on the New Forest’s fragile ecosystem.

A spokeswoman for the New Forest National Park Authority says: “It’s rare heathland, which globally is more rare than rainforest with lots of rare species.

“We have the highest concentration of lowland heathland in western Europe and it’s internationally protected.

“It is home to all six UK native reptiles, Dartford warblers, nightjars, insects – it’s devastating.”

The spokeswoman added that it was too early to tell how much damage had been caused, with the response to the fire still ongoing.

Image source, PA Media

New Forest ponies caught up in the area of the major fire are likely to have moved away at the first smell of smoke.

Andrew Parry-Norton, chairman of the New Forest's Commoners Defence Association, says: "The ponies will have moved away very quickly.

"As soon as they got the slightest smell of smoke they would have gone in a flash. They will be absolutely fine."

The New Forest's free-roaming ponies, pigs, donkeys and cattle are owned by the commoners - people who own or occupy land with ancient rights attached.

The fire service says it has installed a high volume pump system across Ringwood to supply crews with the water they need.

“The fire is in a challenging rural location, where maintaining a steady water supply can be difficult," the fire service says.

“The HVP system allows us to move large amounts of water over a longer distance, helping crews maintain a continuous supply while they work to bring the fire under control.

"This is an important part of our response and will help support firefighting operations at the scene. Please do not drive over the hose as this could cause damage and result in loss of water.”