:00:08. > :00:09.Hello, I'm Allen Sinclair, with the news from South Today.
:00:10. > :00:12.And there's a warning to those enjoying the countryside this
:00:13. > :00:17.weekend that huge areas are at risk from heathland and grass fires.
:00:18. > :00:20.Hampshire firefighters have dealt with more than 50 incidents over
:00:21. > :00:23.the past three days, among them a blaze on Yateley Common
:00:24. > :00:26.which damaged woodland, threatened nearby properties
:00:27. > :00:34.The ground still smouldering in parts of the six hectares
:00:35. > :00:41.The recent warm weather has created a perfect storm.
:00:42. > :00:44.Vegetation is dry, and people are around.
:00:45. > :00:48.Bottles, broken glass on the ground there,
:00:49. > :00:51.another example whereby the sun can react to it like
:00:52. > :00:54.Another potential cause for the start of the fire.
:00:55. > :01:01.I'm not saying that this was the one on this occasion,
:01:02. > :01:03.but take your rubbish with you, take glass home,
:01:04. > :01:07.This was the Yateley fire at its height,
:01:08. > :01:09.one of 52 Hampshire Fire Rescue dealt
:01:10. > :01:11.with within the week, and the number is growing.
:01:12. > :01:14.The devastation caused by this fire is all too evident.
:01:15. > :01:16.Wildlife animals will have perished in this fire, but thankfully,
:01:17. > :01:19.no people were injured, although it came close to houses
:01:20. > :01:26.It can't be ruled out that this fire was started deliberately.
:01:27. > :01:29.It's the loss of the land, it's the damage the environment.
:01:30. > :01:31.It will take years to recover from this.
:01:32. > :01:34.Let alone, further still, the risk to the public,
:01:35. > :01:39.These fires can take flight very, very rapidly,
:01:40. > :01:43.hence, we quite often term them as a wildfire.
:01:44. > :01:47.Whilst the preservation of these vulnerable open spaces is key,
:01:48. > :01:51.the message is if you do encounter a fire, report it and don't try
:01:52. > :01:59.The south's poultry farmers are allowing
:02:00. > :02:01.their birds outdoors again, after restrictions to prevent
:02:02. > :02:03.the spread of bird-flu from wildfowl were lifted.
:02:04. > :02:06.In recent months, normally free-range hens have
:02:07. > :02:12.That's meant that, since February, boxes of free-range eggs
:02:13. > :02:15.have had to carry a label, pointing out that
:02:16. > :02:18.the birds have actually been kept inside for their welfare.
:02:19. > :02:23.When these hens were first shut inside the barn,
:02:24. > :02:26.dozens died of suffocation as they crushed up inside against
:02:27. > :02:32.They did get used to it, but now the restrictions have eased,
:02:33. > :02:41.and the chickens are too, as you can see.
:02:42. > :02:48.Production, I think, probably was affected a little bit.
:02:49. > :02:51.They certainly ate more food, because obviously when
:02:52. > :02:56.they're outside, they're grazing, weeds, grass, slugs,
:02:57. > :03:06.They were marked as barn eggs rather than free range.
:03:07. > :03:10.As from yesterday, they are now free range again, which is great.
:03:11. > :03:14.This easing of restrictions by Defra comes with a warning attached.
:03:15. > :03:18.All keepers must still comply with strict bio-security measures,
:03:19. > :03:21.because the risk of a flock like like this one contracting bird
:03:22. > :03:28.And the worry here on New Farm is the hens may have
:03:29. > :03:36.to spend every winter inside until a vaccine is developed.
:03:37. > :03:40.It's Good Friday of course, and worshippers at Christ Church
:03:41. > :03:43.Cathedral in Oxford have been re-enacting the Easter story.
:03:44. > :03:45.They held a procession around the cathedral,
:03:46. > :03:47.stopping at various points to perform scenes for the public.
:03:48. > :03:50.The aim of the event was to help children to better understand
:03:51. > :03:56.the events leading up to the crucifixion.
:03:57. > :03:58.Onto football, and Brighton are still on course
:03:59. > :04:00.for the Premier League and remain top of the table,
:04:01. > :04:04.Results elsewhere mean automatic promotion isn't yet guaranteed -
:04:05. > :04:09.but they need just four points from the next four games.
:04:10. > :04:11.There were three games in league one.
:04:12. > :04:14.Oxford United lost by a goal to nil away at Bradford.
:04:15. > :04:22.They played host to Scunthorpe, and also lost by one nil.
:04:23. > :04:24.Swindon managed to salvage a point at least -
:04:25. > :04:27.after a goalless draw at home against AFC Wimbledon -
:04:28. > :04:29.but the Robins remain in the relegation zone.
:04:30. > :04:31.In League two, an important draw for Portsmouth,
:04:32. > :04:36.They went a goal down early in the first half at Fratton Park.
:04:37. > :04:38.Their opponents, Plymouth, are currently second in the table,
:04:39. > :04:43.and had hoped a win would secure their move up to League One.
:04:44. > :04:46.But Pompey are hot on their heels in third, and Gary Roberts'
:04:47. > :04:49.equaliser, plus results elsewhere, now guarantees Portsmouth
:04:50. > :04:57.That's all from the South Today news team this evening.
:04:58. > :05:00.We're back tomorrow at 6.20am, hope you can join us then -
:05:01. > :05:02.meanwhile Sarah Farmer's here with the Easter
:05:03. > :05:14.Thanks very much. We have considerably cooler weekend to look
:05:15. > :05:17.forward to this time. A week ago, through the evening the cloud
:05:18. > :05:21.thickens and outbreaks of rain are generally light and patchy in nature
:05:22. > :05:25.venture into the early hours. venture into the early hours.
:05:26. > :05:31.Temperature wise to look at Lowe 's demise of eight or 9 degrees. A
:05:32. > :05:33.cloudy start to Saturday, and any remnants of that will ease across
:05:34. > :05:40.the south coast drying out into the afternoon we will see good bright
:05:41. > :05:44.and sunny intervals. Feeling pleasant in the sunshine with 13
:05:45. > :05:50.degrees, but Keane north-westerly print three mega breeze remains to
:05:51. > :05:54.content with. For Easter Sunday looks like we'll start with cloudy
:05:55. > :05:57.conditions with rain working in from the north. Monday to see brightness
:05:58. > :06:01.with the outside chance of a shower.