Families have been forced to flee their homes and holiday accommodation after a huge wildfire tore through Suffolk, prompting a major incident as firefighters battled to stop the flames reaching a holiday park.
The blaze erupted at Dunwich Heath shortly after 5.30 pm on Wednesday and rapidly spread through dry woodland and heathland, fuelled by hot, windy conditions.
More than 90 firefighters were deployed alongside specialist equipment, including drones and off-road quad bikes, as crews worked through the night to contain what Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service described as a large-scale, wind-driven forestry fire.
The fire became so severe that emergency services declared a major incident overnight.
Around 200 caravans at Cliff House Holiday Park were prepared for evacuation, along with National Trust holiday properties including Coastguard Cottages and Mount Pleasant Farm.
By Thursday morning, fire officials confirmed all residents and holidaymakers had been evacuated safely.
Firefighters are now concentrating on protecting nearby buildings while urging the public to stay away from the area to allow emergency crews to continue their work.
Station Manager Dan Davis said firefighters would remain on site until the blaze had been brought under control.
The wildfire is moving southwest towards Sizewell B nuclear power station, approximately 2.5 miles away, although officials stressed the fire is not currently believed to pose a threat to the facility.
The power station, which generates around 3% of Britain’s electricity, has dedicated wildfire protection measures, including firebreaks and seawater cooling systems.
The incident comes as much of England remains gripped by an intense heatwave.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber heat-health alert across London, the South East, the East of England and the East Midlands, warning that soaring temperatures pose increased health risks, particularly for older people and other vulnerable groups.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service had warned only minutes before the blaze broke out that prolonged dry weather meant even small fires could spread rapidly and have “significant consequences.
The Suffolk emergency also mirrors the worsening wildfire crisis unfolding across Europe.
More than 360,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in France and Spain, while hundreds of square miles have already been destroyed by fires during one of the continent’s most severe wildfire seasons on record.
French President Emmanuel Macron has described the situation as more difficult than anything the country has experienced since the Second World War, warning that prolonged heat and drought are creating increasingly dangerous conditions.
While Britain’s wildfires remain far smaller than those seen across southern Europe, the Suffolk blaze is another reminder that prolonged heatwaves and tinder-dry landscapes are increasing the risk of fast-moving fires much closer to home.
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