Fire crews tackling a large wildfire burning for more than 24 hours near Britain’s biggest nuclear power station have said the situation is “stabilising”.
More than 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze in Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on the Suffolk coast since Wednesday evening.
By late Thursday, while the incident remained “dynamic”, Suffolk fire and rescue service said the blaze appeared to be stablising.
At least 12 fire appliances remained at the scene overnight to tackle smaller fires breaking out, while crews monitored identified hotspots.
A fire service spokesperson said: “Although the fire is dynamic, it remains stable and Suffolk fire and rescue service is making good progress.”
Firefighting efforts have included a helicopter capable of dropping 100 litres of seawater on each pass and six London fire brigade appliances.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Friday morning, the deputy chief fire officer for Suffolk fire and rescue service, Henry Griffin, said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the fire and that the blaze had “stabilised”.
He added: “We have a couple of fire fronts we are actively monitoring, checking on their wind speed, checking on that wind direction, to make sure any reignition is controlled and monitored throughout the coming hours.
“Due to the scale and unpredictable nature of the wind direction … I would not use the words to say it is ‘under control’, but I am confident we have the resources in place and a plan in place to mitigate any risks of this fire.”
A firefighter tackles flames on Dunwich Heath. Photograph: Suffolk fire and rescue service
The “unprecedented” wildfire, which broke out at about 5pm on Wednesday, grew approximately 150 hectares, about 370 acres or the equivalent of 210 football pitches.
The blaze is a few miles from Sizewell B nuclear power station and the construction site for the new Sizewell C plant.
Freddie Gulliver, an emergency manager at the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit, said there was no immediate concern about the fire spreading towards Sizewell B.
A spokesperson for the energy supplier EDF said the wildfire was “not affecting operations” at Sizewell B, adding that the company was closely monitoring the situation. The spokesperson said the site had emergency plans covering a range of scenarios, including a fire on the premises.
About 50 people have been evacuated from their homes and a nearby holiday park, with some being moved to Westleton, where the village hall was turned into a rest centre.
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Evacuated residents are given an update at Westleton village hall. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA
Conservationists have raised concerns for rare birds and wildlife on the heath and nearby RSPB Minsmere, including Dartford warblers, nightjars and stonechats, as well as reptiles such as adders, common lizards and slow worms.
The fire service has released a video showing blackened trees and scorched ground across parts of the nature reserve.
Gulliver praised the community for opening their homes to evacuees, saying only a small number of people had needed to stay in the rest centre overnight.
He said the people running the village hall had been “absolutely brilliant at looking after everyone, so I want to stress my thanks and gratitude to everyone involved”.
The scorched landscape left by the wildfire. Photograph: Marissa Davison/Reuters
Speaking to residents, Gulliver said firefighters were containing the blaze by flooding trenches with water and using helicopters to drop thousands of litres of seawater.
The prime minister, Andy Burnham, said Suffolk’s fire service would have “all of the support” it needed to tackle the wildfire.
The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, called for Burnham to host an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss wildfires across Britain, including the Suffolk blaze.
According to the Met Office, Suffolk has received only 2% of its average July rainfall so far. Other counties have recorded as little as 1% – or even none – of their typical rainfall for the month.
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First published by The Guardian UK
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