A FIRE service investigating an 80 car blaze at BoomTown Festival have revealed the likely cause.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue service say that the inferno was probably caused by a discarded cigarette, which set fire to stubble around the cars.

The fire broke out on Friday evening, while festival-goers enjoyed the first night of the three day event.

No one was hurt, but around 100 cars were affected by the blaze, with 80 completely destroyed.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “It seems the most likely cause was a discarded cigarette.

“It looks as if a lit cigarette was left unattended near the parked vehicles and supported by the dry grass, it quickly spread.”

He added that the term ‘most likely’ is used because it is difficult to find a concrete cause when dealing with charred remains.

A more detailed report is to be published in the near future.

Hundreds of music lovers were this morning plotting how they were going to get home in the wake of the blaze at BoomTown Fair.

Event bosses were helping people whose vehicles were destroyed in the blaze to plan return journeys and contact insurance companies.

It comes as a fire chief revealed just how close the flames had come to spreading to the festival’s campsite.

Officer in command, watch manager Mark Compton from Winchester fire station, told the Daily Echo that around 100 cars were either destroyed or damaged by the heat of the fire which covered an area the size of a football pitch.

He admitted it was the actions of just four firefighters, the first on scene, who managed to stop the flames spreading to nearby tents in the luxury Boomtique camping site.

Today an investigation by the fire service and police was still trying to determine how the fire started.

A mechanic had conducted a preliminary damage assessment on cars located close to the blaze.

Organisers have set up a dedicated incident information tent inside the festival, at the Matterley Estate near Winchester, to locate the owners of the affected vehicles. It was also providing refreshments, wi-fi and phone lines, with BoomTown welfare staff assisting revellers.

According to organisers by 8pm on Saturday August 13, 42 cars and owners had been matched.

Festival representative Adrian Coombs said: “What BoomTown is doing at the moment is making sure that we help anyone who’s affected.

“So we’re laying on internet access, phone lines, making sure owners can contact their insurance companies and facilitating people’s transport home when the festival finishes.”

Vehicles and debris are set to be moved by insurers from tonight.

The fire broke out around 4.15pm on Friday with huge plumes of black smoke visible from Winchester city centre, four miles away.

A spokesman for BoomTown said the affected cars were in the west car park and would have arrived between 10am and 11am.

Last night BoomTown organisers told the Daily Echo: “The plans for tomorrow are still being finalised and transport arrangements will be tailored to the individual’s needs and requirements.

“BoomTown is working alongside coach partner National Express to offer those affected coach travel options, there will be additional shuttle buses to the train station and BoomTown staff will work on a case by case basis should public transport not be appropriate.”