Winnie the Pooh’s ‘Hundred Acre Wood’ torched by 2 wildfires during record heat spell

Wildfires have destroyed part of the British forest that inspired Winnie the Pooh’s famous playground, the Hundred Acre Wood.

More than 35 hectares — about 86 acres — of “woodland in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex was affected, with at least 65 firefighters tackling the blazes,” the BBC reported.

“Dramatic images show the smoke billowing from the iconic forest,” the Sun wrote.

The fires broke out as the United Kingdom “broke the record for the warmest winter day for a second time,” the BBC reported.

The Hundred Acre Wood “is the main setting of the Winnie the Pooh series. It is home to Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Piglet, and Gopher,” according to Disney Fandom.

Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne had a country home north of Ashdown Forest, according to The Independent, “and his son, Christopher Robin Milne, the inspiration for the character of Christopher Robin, would often explore the area. Milne’s stories feature references to specific locations in the forest.”

The fires began within an hour of each other on Tuesday afternoon and took crews more than seven hours to extinguish, according to The Sun.

“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, with East Sussex fire and rescue service stating that the ‘unusual warm weather this week’ meant that the ground was drier than usual and could lead to a greater risk of wildfires,” the Independent wrote.

Pooh fans can journey through the woods, where “several locations in the Pooh stories can be matched to real places in and around the forest,” the Telegraph wrote in January.

“And the game of Poohsticks was first played in the area – on a footbridge across a tributary of the River Medway in Posingford Wood. The bridge is now a popular photo spot for tourists visiting the area.”

Pooh fans were sad to learn of the wildfires.

This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 9:52 AM.