A massive wildfire at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk has been burning for nearly 24 hours, growing to the size of 140 football pitches (100 hectares or 247 acres), within three miles of the Sizewell B nuclear power station.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has deployed 18 engines and expects to continue tackling the blaze for at least another 36 hours. The fire has been declared a major incident.
EDF monitoring situation
Operator EDF confirmed it is "closely monitoring the situation" and said the fire is not affecting operations at Sizewell B. Despite earlier reports of high alert, EDF denied the plant was on heightened alert, stating the site remains safe and its position on the fire's danger is unchanged.
A spokesperson said: "We are continuing to monitor the situation, but the fire at Dunwich Heath is not currently affecting operations at Sizewell B power station."
Fire chief reassures public
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Chief fire officer Jon Lacey said during a briefing at Westleton Village Hall that the fire is moving inland, not towards the coast. Asked about the danger to Sizewell B and C, he said: "We're not expecting the wind direction to change to send the fire to Sizewell C or B."
He added: "The terrain and land between us and the fire and Sizewell B and C means it's not a significant fire spread concern. At the moment Sizewell B and C are being monitored and we're in consultation with them, but we are not worried about the fire spreading in that direction."
Sizewell B and C details
Sizewell B, the UK's youngest nuclear plant, opened in 1995 and uses a pressurised water reactor. It generates enough power for 2.5 million homes and meets about 3% of UK electricity demand. An extension agreed last year will keep it operating until 2055.
Sizewell C, an active construction site nearby, is also closely monitoring the wildfire. A spokesperson said it "currently poses low risk to Sizewell C, given its distance from site and watercourses in between." They added that they are continuously assessing smoke impacts and road network effects to ensure safety and priority for emergency services.
