A fire has this evening engulfed a 75x50m area of grassland and bushes on St Boniface Downs in Ventnor.
One pumping appliance and a water bowser from Ventnor, alongside one pumping appliance from Shanklin, are currently on the scene damping down remaining hot spots on the ground and preventing the spread of the fire.
Flames could be seen for miles around, as our featured image taken by Katie Barker shows.
The blaze is now under control and crews are expected to remain on Ventnor Downs for some time to come.
The direction of wind prevented the flames from taking hold of nearby bushes, which a spokesperson for Isle of Wight Fire Service said could have taken a larger area of the downs.
UPDATE – 10:10 SUNDAY: This photograph shows the widespread damage caused by the blaze yesterday, leaving a black mark on the beautiful landscape.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown at this moment in time.
