A major incident has been declared as around 90 firefighters tackle a substantial heathland fire at the National Trust's Dunwich Heath on the Suffolk coast.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service responded to reports of a wildfire near Leiston shortly after 5.30pm on Wednesday. The blaze is moving south-west towards St James' Church, off Westleton Road, and the service declared a major incident due to the size and complexity of the fire.
Public urged to stay away
Station manager Dan Davis of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Leiston arrived to find a large-scale, wind-driven forestry fire. The incident was subsequently upgraded to a major incident.
"We currently have approximately 90 firefighters on scene working incredibly hard in arduous conditions to bring this fire under control," Mr Davis said. He urged the public to stay away from the area where possible and keep windows and doors shut. He added: "I'd like to provide reassurance that we are going to remain on scene until we bring this fire under control."
Heat-health alert in place
The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber heat-health alert for the East Midlands, the East, South East and London, in force until 9am on Thursday. The agency previously cautioned that rising temperatures may pose increased health risks, especially for vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, emergency services reported "significant progress" in controlling a wildfire in the Cairngorms which ignited a fortnight ago. Several properties in the isolated area were evacuated as columns of smoke rose into the air, leaving extensive areas of woodland, heather and grassland scorched and blackened.
Scotland wildfire update
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service deputy assistant chief officer Michael Humphreys said firefighters are advancing in their efforts to contain the blaze, but cautioned that the danger of flare-ups continues to be substantial.
"It's been an absolutely devastating fire for wildlife and for the local community who have come out in force to really support us, which we really do appreciate," he said. He added that a significant number of fire breaks have been put in place to control the fire.
