Properties have been evacuated as firefighters battle a large blaze at Dunwich Heath, on the Suffolk coast.
Fire crews respond to wildfire
Suffolk Fire and Rescue responded to reports of a wildfire at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, shortly after 5.30pm on Wednesday (July 29). In an update on Thursday (July 30), the fire service said: "Following the update throughout the night, crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue are still tackling a large wildfire at Dunwich Heath."
Throughout the night, crews focused on protecting properties including Coastguard Cottages, Mount Pleasant Farm and Cliff House Holiday Park. All individuals have been evacuated successfully.
Major incident declared
The fire spread south-west towards St James’ Church, off Westleton Road and a major incident was declared "due to size and complexity" of the fire, the service said.
It comes as temperatures soared across the UK on Wednesday, with some areas surpassing 30C. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had issued an amber heat-health alert for the East Midlands, the East, South East and London.
Crews working in arduous conditions
In an update late on Wednesday evening, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service station manager Dan Davis urged the public to avoid the area if possible and keep windows and doors closed. He said: "Crews from Leiston attended the scene and were met with what is a large-scale, wind-driven forestry fire. The incident has subsequently been 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."
Other wildfires across the UK
The Suffolk blaze is one of several major wildfires being tackled across the UK. In Scotland, crews said they were making "significant progress" in tackling a wildfire in the Cairngorms that broke out two weeks ago. Earlier this week, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were 'continuing to make progress' on a blaze which broke out three weeks ago on Tintwistle Moor.
