UK wildfires rip through ‘Winnie the Pooh’ forest

By the Associated Press
LONDON — Unseasonably warm and dry weather have fueled fires in Britain, with blazes at Ashdown Forest — made famous by the “Winnie the Pooh” books — as well as West Yorkshire’s Saddleworth Moor and Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.

People watch the scene of a gorse fire below Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland, Tuesday Feb. 26, 2019. ( Jane Barlow / PA Wire via AP / MANILA BULLETIN)

Crews extinguished two wildfires in East Sussex’s Ashdown Forest, the inspiration for the fictional Hundred Acre Wood in the classic books by A.A. Milne. Ashdown Forest Rangers were not available for comment Wednesday to discuss the extent of the damage.

Firefighters are expected to bring the moor fire and the Arthur’s Seat fires under control Wednesday.

Britain saw its hottest winter day on record on Tuesday when the mercury hit 21.2 Celsius (69.4 Fahrenheit) in London.

Wet and windy conditions are predicted for the coming days.