- The area affected by the wildfire has grown to 150 hectares – the equivalent of approximately 210 football pitches – with 18 fire engines and more than 100 firefighters at the scene.
- Prime Minister pledged that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service will have all the support, including mutual aid and other resources needed.
- The major incident response can be expected to carry on for at least another 48 hours.
- Around 50 people have been evacuated to Westleton, whose village hall now serves as a rest centre.
- The fire service reported that changing wind conditions continue to affect the direction and behaviour of the fire.
- Power has been cut to three postcodes across Suffolk, affecting 116 customers.
Firefighters are currently engaged in a major incident at Dunwich Heath, Suffolk, where a wildfire has expanded to 150 hectares, equivalent to about 210 football pitches.1
The Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service mobilized over 100 firefighters and 18 fire engines to combat the blaze, which was reported shortly after 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Prime Minister pledges support for the firefighting efforts, stating, “I will make sure that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have all of the support, the mutual aid, the other services that they need, and any other resources that need to be brought to bear.”2
The major incident response is expected to continue for at least another 48 hours, with changing wind conditions complicating firefighting efforts and making the fire's spread unpredictable.35
In addition to the firefighting efforts, around 50 residents have been evacuated to Westleton, where the village hall has been designated as a rest centre.4
Precautionary evacuations have also taken place at Cliff House Holiday Park, which houses approximately 200 caravans.
Power outages have affected three postcodes across Suffolk, as reported by the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service on Thursday afternoon.6
EDF spokesperson confirmed that the fire is “not affecting operations at Sizewell B power station.”
“The major incident response is expected to continue for at least another 48 hours, with changing wind conditions complicating firefighting efforts. Additionally, around 50 people have been evacuated to Westleton, where the village hall is now serving as a rest centre.”
The Independent
