A FIRE which destroyed a stable block in a New Forest village spread to the home of a firefighter who lives next door.

Watch Manager Les Browning's home suffered cracks to 38 panes of glass due to the extreme heat when a bonfire spread out of control in Burley.

His neighbour's stable block and contents were wrecked, including trunks and cabinets full of treasured family items.

Now Mr Browning hopes the fire, which took place on Saturday evening in Pound Lane, will highlight the need for retained firefighters in Burley.

He and a second firefighter took Burley fire station's Land Rover to the scene, where he discovered the fire had developed.

Crews from Ringwood and New Milton were on their way but he called for further assistance which included further crews from New Milton and Christchurch and a command support vehicle from Eastleigh.

While he waited for reinforcements to arrive, Mr Browning and his colleague tackled the advancing flames from the Rooks Farm driveway but they were forced back by the heat and relocated to his own property where a hosereel was used to try and quell the fire.

Once responding crews arrived, the blaze was quickly brought under control but the former stables and its contents were destroyed and 38 panes of double glazing were cracked on Mr Browning's house.

He said: "The fire was going like clappers when we pulled up and with only two of us trying to stop it spreading, it was very difficult and very hot."

The owner of the building, Mrs Titia O'Riordan was full of praise for the firefighters. "They were brilliant, they arrived very quickly, were very efficient, kind and helpful" she said.

"Sadly I have lost so many family items that cannot be replaced. Generations of memories were stored in trunks and cabinets and they are all gone" she added.

Mrs O'Riordan said that the blaze had started from a nearby bonfire in her garden but she thought that the embers were out before her family went back into their house.

"I had been telling people of the danger of fire spreading in the forest during the dry weather but I didn't listen to my own advice" said Mrs O'Riordan.

Emphasising the need for people to come forward to increase the numbers of on-call firefighters in Burley, Mr Browning appealed to suitable residents to enlist.

"Being a firefighter is very rewarding and public-spirited and you work as part of a close-knit team" said Mr Browning. Anyone interested should look at the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service website where there are full details about on-call firefighters.