Firefighting helicopter brought in to tackle Isle of Wight blaze
About 60 firefighters remain in the area to tackle the blaze, affecting a 25-hectare area of woodland.
Fire service footage shows a helicopter has been dropping sea water on the heath
A helicopter has been brought in as firefighters continue to fight a large heathland blaze on the Isle of Wight.
The gorse fire was first reported at Headon Warren, in the West Wight, shortly after 09:00 BST on Thursday, and is affecting a 25-hectare (62-acre) area of woodland.
Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service worked overnight to extinguish the blaze using jets and hose reels and have arranged for a helicopter water-drop to reach inaccessible areas.
Additional fire appliances have been taken to the island to support the efforts to fight the fire which is on land owned by the National Trust. The public has been told to stay away.
A helicopter water-drop was arranged to reach inaccessible areas
James Lucy, incident commander for the service, said: "The teams are making really good progress."
He said the work would be ongoing throughout Friday but pointed out that the type of fire was "resource intensive and can go on for a long period of time".
"We have also enlisted air support from a helicopter, which is firefighting from the air, dropping water onto the fire, which is really positively impacting this incident," he said.
The fire at Headon Warren, in the West Wight, is affecting a 25-hectare area of woodland
The fire service has said it is unable to confirm the cause of the fire.
Wildfire tactical advisor Larry Mackrell said the operation had been made more difficult by the challenging terrain, the remote location and its proximity to the cliff edge.
He said: "We are working closely with our fellow emergency services and the local council, as well as the National Trust, Southern Water and ferry companies, to ensure we can continue tackling this fire effectively and maintain cover across the island."
The service said local farmers had been assisting crews by using tractors to create fire breaks and help them contain the fire.
About 60 firefighters are tackling the blaze at Headon Warren
Smoke from the fire has been visible on the mainland and crews from across England's south coast have been to the island to assist with the operation.
Wightlink, which runs ferry services between Portsmouth and Lymington and the Isle of Wight, said it was assisting the fire service by transporting fire engines, which had led to some delays for passengers.
Crews from across the Isle of Wight and southern Hampshire are in attendance
BBC reporter Mike Apps, who is at the scene, said: "The land in front of me has been completely scorched by the blaze
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