Ninoda.com – Watch: Smoke fills the sky from heathland fire Firefighters tackling a wildfire that has been burning for more than 24 hours on the Suffolk coast say they are in a better position than earlier on Thursday evening. The Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said "the situation appears to be stabilising", but at least 12 fire engines would remain on scene into Friday to manage smaller fires breaking out. The incident remained "dynamic", it added, advising residents to keep windows and doors closed because of smoke and ash.
More than 100 firefighters have been battling the "unprecedented" blaze which grew to the size of 210 football pitches (150 hectares) after breaking out about 17:00 BST on Wednesday and spreading across Dunwich Heath near Leiston. Fire crews have been tackling a heathland blaze now burning for more than 24 hours The county fire service said power had also been restored to 111 of the 116 affected properties. A helicopter on site will remain in use into Friday, with each drop unloading 1,000 litres of seawater onto the blaze.
A spokesperson for the Sizewell B nuclear power station, about three miles (5km) from the fire, said it was monitoring the "dynamic situation". Homes and a holiday caravan park were evacuated after the fire broke out and there are fears for rare birds and wildlife whose home is the heath and nearby RSPB Minsmere. Dartford warblers, nightjars and stonechats, along with reptiles such as adders, common lizards and slow worms, are among the species found there.
The "large-scale, wind-driven" fire was declared a major incident on Thursday morning, due to the size and complexity of the blaze which was helped by south-westerly winds. On Thursday evening, Suffolk's chief fire officer, Jon Lacey, said difficult terrain and limited access routes were making it hard for crews to reach some areas of the wildfire. He confirmed that approximately 100 to 150 people had been evacuated from their accommodation.
An update on the fire service's website said it was being supported by firefighters from neighbouring brigades, with engines also being sent from London. "We have also requested additional national support, including wildfire specialist appliances, officers, and tactical advisers," it said. "Around 50 people have received support through the rest centre, which remains open.
"We expect the response to continue for at least the next 48 hours." Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to give the fire service "all the support it needs" to tackle the "very serious" heathland blaze. Communities Secretary Angela Rayner praised firefighters for their "skill and dedication and bravery". Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for Burnham to host an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the outbreak of wildfires in Britain, including in Suffolk.
A helicopter flies water collected from the sea to drop on the wildfire at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, close to the Sizewell B nuclear power station Sizewell B power station said the fire was "not affecting operations". Fields separate the plant and the blaze, which is affecting the heathland further north along the coast. Meanwhile Sizewell C, which is under construction, has offered rooms at its Pakefield accommodation block should residents need them.
UK Power Networks said it had turned off power to 116 homes in the Darsham area at the request of the fire service due to the proximity of the fire to overhead lines. The fire has spread to the equivalent area of about 210 football pitches More than 100 firefighters are still at the scene Read our live coverage from the day here While no human injuries have been reported, retired ecologist Chris Keeling said the impact the fire would have on wildlife and habitats was "so terribly sad" and "horrendous". "I find it utterly sickening and it just makes me feel so desperately sad to see that destruction," said Keeling, vice-chairman of Suffolk Bird Group.
Dunwich Heath, which is owned by the National Trust, is normally covered with pink and purple heather at this time of year Properties including Coastguard Cottages, Mount Pleasant Farm and Cliff House Holiday Park, were evacuated overnight. Barry Banks, who lives in the nearby village of Westleton, said he had taken in "three couples and three dogs" at his home. He said it had been "a bit chaotic" and that some of the evacuees had been "stressed", but that the other villagers had wanted to help.
About 60 people, including families with babies and dogs, have attended a relief centre at Westleton Village Hall. Evacuated residents gathered at Westleton Village Hall nearby Jude Bayly, who owns caravans in the evacuated area, said she felt "incredibly emotional" about the wildfire. "I feel every time I speak to a son or my husband I feel very weepy and that's just shock, I would imagine," she said.
"The devastation of this area, which is a natural beauty, and the wildlife is just awful. "You see it on the television with France and Spain and you're quite removed from it and then it's here and I feel quite as if it's actually… I'm not really taking it in." Jude Bayly said the devastation caused by the fire had left her "very weepy" Claire said she and her husband fled in the night with four "exhausted and frightened" children Claire, from Essex, was camping nearby with her husband and four children when they were told they had to evacuate the area immediately.
"Within minutes, what had been a busy family campsite turned into families frantically throwing whatever essentials they could into their cars," she says. "We had no choice but to abandon our tent and almost all of our camping equipment and leave, not knowing whether the fire would reach the campsite or if we'd ever see our belongings again." She described how the hardest part was staying calm for her children, who were "exhausted and frightened". They are now staying with a local couple in Westleton.
"After such an uncertain 24 hours, that generosity has meant the world to us," she said. The weather and changing winds have been making tackling the fire very difficult Suffolk is also among the areas of England where drought has been declared by the Environment Agency. Droughts bring with them a high risk of wildfires, the EA warned.
According to the Met Office, Suffolk has only received 2% of its average monthly rainfall for July so far. The UK Health Security Agency had earlier issued an amber heat-health alert for the region. Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk?
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