Winnie the Pooh’s’ ‘Hundred-Acre-Woods’ hit by a fire
The real-life Hundred Acre Wood forest from 'Winnie the Pooh' was hit by a fire late Sunday night.
According to CNN, the blaze affected an area of more than 35 acres and was bought under control around 4 a.m. early Monday morning.
Hundred Acre Wood, the forest that Winnie, Tigger, Eeyore and many others called home, was based on the real-life Five Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.
'Winnie the Pooh' author, A.A Milne’s country home was situated near the forest, and he drew inspiration from the woodland when he was writing the popular children’s series in the 1920s.
Milne found the breathtaking landscape of Ashdown Forest so beautiful, that he was inspired to use it as the primary setting for his books.
Ashdown Forest is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Southeast England.
Several locations in the Pooh stories can be matched to places in and around Ashdown forest.
While the cause of the fire is still unknown, police credit the dry undergrowth in the forest for allowing it to spread even faster.
“The undergrowth was very dry in the forest, despite the recent rain,” said Andrew Guasden, commander of the local fire station.
Six fire crews were on the scene as flames fed on the dry undergrowth.
The forest was hit by two wildfires previously in February, as a result of planned burning going out of control.
The Conservators of Ashdown Forest told the BBC that a “freak gust of wind combined with unseasonably dry conditions" was responsible for the fires on 26 February.