Summary

  • The Suffolk wildfire has grown to an area equal to more than 200 football pitches, Suffolk's fire service says

  • More than 100 firefighters are involved, with helicopters picking up sea water and dropping it on the blaze

  • The fire is no risk to nearby nuclear power station Sizewell B, Suffolk's fire chief says - our weather presenter says wind is expected to blow smoke away from the facility

  • The blaze broke out on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk on Wednesday, with a major incident declared "due to the size and complexity" of the blaze

  • Local residents have taken in some evacuees and their dogs - one tells the BBC that he is willing to house people for as long as they need, another says they were treated to a cooked breakfast

  • Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he'll make sure the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has all the support it needs

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Live Reporting

Edited by Peter Walker with writing by Rachael McMenemy and Alice Cunningham, and reporters at the scene

  1. How the fire engulfed the size of 210 football pitches in just 24 hours

    As a reminder, here's how quickly the fire has unfolded over 24 hours:

    • Wednesday 17:00 BST: The fire service is called to reports of a heathland blaze, which is declared a major incident later that evening
    • Thursday 08:55: We report that the fire is burning across 10 hectares (24.7 acres) - roughly the size of 14 football pitches
    • Thursday 12:00: Suffolk County Council says about 100 hectares (247 acres) is burning, which is a 10-fold increase in just a few hours
    • Thursday 17:30: The fire has grown by another 50% to 150 hectares (371 acres); that's approximately 210 football pitches.

  2. Suffolk sees only 2% of monthly rainfall

    Suffolk has only received 2% of its average monthly rainfall for July so far, according to the Met Office.

    Other counties have recorded similar figures as low as 1% and 0% for the month.

    The rainfall in Suffolk for this summer (measured from the start of June until the end of August) is currently 36% of what it usually gets.

    "Some showers, possibly heavy are possible this evening and into the early hours of Friday," a Met Office spokesperson added.

    "Further showers are likely next week, possibly thundery."

  3. Scale of fire grows by about 50%
    Breaking

    The area affected by the wildfire has grown to 150 hectares (371 acres), the equivalent of approximately 210 football pitches.

    Earlier, we told you it was affecting about 100 hectares.

    Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says the major incident response can be expected to carry on for another 48 hours at least.

    “Changing wind conditions continue to affect the direction and behaviour of the fire, making it difficult to predict how it may spread,” the fire service says.

    It adds that it has requested additional national support, "including wildfire specialist appliances, officers, and tactical advisers".

  4. 'Next summer will almost certainly be worse'

    George King
    Suffolk

    Dr Rupert Read is an environmental philosopher, a former professor at the University of East Anglia and the co-director of the Climate Majority Project.

    He says it is “sad that a wonderful area has been damaged in this way”.

    “This kind of wildfire is very sadly exactly the kind of event we now have to expect as climate breakdown accelerates,” he says.

    “We need to act as a high priority to make ourselves safer against this sort of thing, now, across East Anglia, and of course far beyond.

    “Because this is only the beginning. Next summer will almost certainly be worse. Making ourselves safer begins with citizen vigilance. But it doesn’t end there.”

    A red and yellow branded fire engine drives towards the camera on a narrow road. Either side of the road is brown dry earth. In the background is white billowing smoke.PA Media

  5. Chief fire officer says blaze 'unprecedented'

    More now from the chief fire officer at Suffolk.

    Speaking to the BBC in Westleton earlier, Jon Lacey described the last 24 hours as "unprecedented".

    “I've been to some significant incidents, but I don't think I've ever had a fire that I've had to deal with that has had 125 firefighters on the scene. It is very unusual.”

    Jon Lacey wears a white shirt with black epaulettes on the shoulders and a yellow crest on the chest, with the words printed SUFFOLK FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE. He is outside in a car park.

  6. 'You see it in France and Spain... and then it's here'

    Jude sat on a wooden bench outside a village hall. She wears a grey T-shirt, has blonde hair and has sunglasses hanging from her collar.Reuters

    Jude Bayly, who owns caravans in the evacuated area, says she feels "incredibly emotional" about the wildfire.

    "I feel every time I speak to a son or my husband I feel very weepy and that's just shock, I would imagine," she tells the Reuters news agency.

    "The devastation of this area, which is a natural beauty, and the wildlife is just awful.

    "You see it on the television with France and Spain and you're quite removed from it and then it's here and I feel quite as if it's actually... I'm not really taking it in."

  7. It was scary, say campers

    Luke Deal
    in Westleton

    A young woman holding a dog stands beside her mother and father who are all smiling at the camera. The young woman has long red hair and is wearing a pink top. The mother has tied up blonde hair and wears a lighter pink T-shirt with sunglasses on her head. The man has a grey beard, sunglasses and a black T-shirt.Vikki Irwin/BBC

    Russell Howard, with his wife Marie and daughter Alice, have been caught up in the Dunwich Heath incident along with their dog Kira during a camping trip.

    Marie says they were out for the day on Wednesday when they saw fire engines and smoke.

    They saw the smoke from the beach.

    Russell says at 22:00 BST they were told they might have to be evacuated before they then were told to leave by wardens.

    "It was a little bit scary," he says. "People on the campsite were going nuts and leaving quite quickly.

    "We took our time and we still left quite a bit there like our tent... we then made our way to the beach car park where we spent the night, not really getting much sleep."

    Russell says they could see an orange glow in the sky during the night and they saw some injured animals.

  8. 'Destruction is utterly sickening'

    George King
    Suffolk

    A man wearing a blue shirt and holding a pair of binoculars which are hanging around his neck. He is standing in a woodland with trees and bushes in the background.Supplied

    Retired ecologist Chris Keeling says the impact the fire will have on wildlife and habitats is "so terribly sad" and "horrendous".

    "I find it utterly sickening and it just makes me feel so desperately sad to see that destruction," said the 67-year-old, who is the vice chairman of Suffolk Bird Group.

    "We need to really value our wilder habitats, nature and biodiversity because we all depend on it and a world without that is going to be a rather sadder place."

    The area is home to everything from Dartford warblers, nightjars and stonechats to native reptiles such as adders, common lizards and slow worms.

  9. More than 100 people evacuated, says fire boss

    Navtej Johal
    Reporting from Westleton

    Suffolk chief fire officer Jon Lacey says there are approximately 100 to 150 people who have been evacuated from their accommodation.

    "We have around 76 people at this rest centre who have been directly affected," he explains.

    "There are other people at the caravan parks who evacuated and went their own way to another location.

    "We are unable to collect exact numbers on those as they dispersed on their own."

  10. Holidaymakers evacuated and offered a place to stay by 'friendly' volunteers

    Rozina Sini
    Your Voice

    Man and a woman with brown hair in summer clothes sitting next to two young children, a girl and a boy.Supplied

    Lauren, from Yorkshire, drove down to Dunwich, Suffolk, with her partner Richard and two children for their caravan holiday.

    However, shortly after arriving, the wildfire started and the family was evacuated.

    "It was quite scary getting a knock on the door at midnight. There was a lot of smoke in the air, it was unpleasant to breathe."

    Lauren describes how she was then offered a place to stay by volunteers who let her and her family stay in their home. This morning the family was also welcomed to the town hall for a cooked breakfast by more volunteers.

    "It was utterly heartwarming, everyone was so friendly. A woman offered to do some colouring with the children so that we could listen to the briefing from the fire service.

    "We cannot thank the local community and the emergency services enough."

    Purple banner that says Your Voice

  11. Farmers helping

    The National Trust is thanking the fire service and local farmers for working to contain the fire.

    Properties on the site have been protected so far.

    Russell Clement says in a statement: "At the moment, the iconic Coastguard Cottages have escaped the path of the fire.

    "We're incredibly grateful for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and the multiple agency response, including local farmers, who are doing all they can to contain the fire."

  12. Man housed three couples and three dogs who fled from wildfire

    Navtej Johal
    Reporting from Westleton

    Barry Banks, a local resident of Westleton, the village to where people have been evacuated, says he housed “three couples and three dogs” in his home last night.

    He says it was “a bit chaotic” and that some of the evacuees were “stressed”, but he and the other villagers who allowed people to stay over wanted to help.

    Banks says he will house his guests for as long as they need.

    Barry Banks has very short hair and has a beard. He wears a navy blue T-shirt. He is outside with stone brick wall behind him.

  13. More than 100 homes without power in area surrounding blaze

    More than 100 homes are without power in the area surrounding the wildfire, according to UK Power Networks (UKPN).

    It says 116 homes across two postcode areas are affected - IP17 3 and IP19 9 -and says it has no estimate of when power will be back on.

    "We're working to give you a more specific time for when your power will be back on," says a notice on UKPN's website.

    "As soon as we get an update from our engineers we will display a time."

  14. Wind expected to blow smoke north-west, away from power stations

    Chris Fawkes
    BBC Weather presenter

    Our weather presenter Chris Fawkes says some drops of rain and a north-westerly wind is expected.

    We've got high pressure with us at the moment and with these areas of low pressure you often get an area of warm air off the ground. It's called a temperature inversion.

    At the moment that temperature inversion is 2km (1.24 miles) off the Earth's surface. That traps the smoke at low elevations and rather than dispersing vertically through the atmosphere, it traps it and the smoke blows horizontally.

    It's a worse scenario because the smoke can then affect where people live, towns and villages downwind.

    Later on today we're going to see a cold front move across this area. This will bring a zone of cloud through. There will be some rain, just a few drops.

    But one of the significant things it's going to do is once that cold front moves through, it gets rid of that temperature inversion.

    So instead of seeing the smoke blowing horizontally and hugging the ground, affecting people, it will be able to disperse upwards through the atmosphere.

    The winds will also change direction once that cold front has moved through to more of a north-westerly direction, so that will blow the smoke and wildfire fronts out to sea.

    Plumes of smoke billow over dry brown fields and green trees. The white dome of a power station is visible several miles further south, in the background.PA Media

  15. Sizewell C offering accommodation and support

    Sizewell C says it has been involved in helping local communities affected by the fire.

    The nuclear power plant is not yet operational and is under construction, but sits further down the coast from the Dunwich Heath fire. Managers are "closely monitoring" the situation but say "it currently poses a low risk to Sizewell C".

    A spokesperson for the nuclear power plant says it is doing the following to help:

    • Provide a minibus to support evacuations
    • Provide bottled water for local people and the fire service
    • Rooms at its Pakefield accommodation were ready should they be needed for residents
    • A water bowser has been deployed to support the fire service
    • The plant is sending food and water to fire crews on the ground

  16. The size of 140 football pitches

    Global fire map data from Nasa has given us a better idea of the scale of this blaze.

    As we told you earlier, the fire service says it is tackling an area reaching 247 acres (about the equivalent of 140 football pitches).

    Map of the Suffolk coast showing active fires recorded in the previous 24 hours near Dunwich Heath. Red dots mark a cluster of fire locations around Cliff House Holiday Park on the coast. Mount Pleasant Farm, Coastguard Cottages, Westleton Village Hall are labelled nearby, with Sizewell B power station a few kilometres to the south. An inset map of the UK highlights the location on England’s east coast. Source: Nasa Firms data as of 30 July.

  17. Fire remains 'fast moving'

    A helicopter carrying a suspended large water bucket above a coastal area toward a fire. A large dome shaped building part of a nuclear power station can be seen in the distance behind the helicopter.Reuters

    In an update at 15:45 BST, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said its crews continued to work in "extremely challenging conditions".

    "Eighteen fire engines and 120 firefighters are involved in the response, but difficult terrain and limited access routes are making it hard for crews to reach some areas of the wildfire," it says.

    "The fire remains fast moving, and crews are working hard to contain it and protect surrounding areas."

  18. What does it look like around Dunwich Heath now?

    A fire engine travels along a road with its emergency lights going off. Smoke fills the air. Bushes and trees line the road.Reuters

    Photos taken from around Dunwich Heath and Westleton show that there is still a heavy emergency service presence in the area.

    Smoke remains in the area as the fire continues to burn and people are seeking rest and relief at Westleton Village Hall.

    Police are also at the scene having cordoned off areas including the beach up from Sizewell.

    A fire engine travels along a road that is cordoned off by a single female police officer who is wearing high-vis and black trousers.There is a blue sign that reads POLICE ROAD CLOSEDPA Media
    A drone image of heathland that has been burnt in a fire. Several fire engine vehicles are parked in a field along with a tractor and white vehicle. Some firefighters are walking around the area.Reuters
    Members of the public talk while standing outside a village hall on a sunny day. There chairs are dotted about the place and some officials wearing hi-vis tops.Reuters

  19. Picture shows proximity to power station

    As we told you earlier, the operator of Sizewell B power station says the fire is "not affecting operations".

    Three miles (5km) of trees and fields separates the plant and the blaze, which is affecting the heathland further north up the coast.

    As you can see, the wind has been blowing the smoke out towards the sea.

    A bird's eye view of dry brown fields and trees, with white smoke billowing towards the sea, which is to the left of the frame. The power station and its white dome is visible in the very background.

  20. Green leader presses for government wildfire meeting

    Zack Polanski is wearing a dark-coloured jacket and a white shirt. He has stubble and short brown hair. He is captured mid talking and is standing outside.PA Media

    Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for Prime Minister Andy Burnham to host an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the outbreak of wildfires across the UK, including today's at Dunwich.

    "Across the country terrifying wildfires are raging, forcing people to leave their homes not knowing what they will come back to find," Polanski says.

    "Burnham should call a Cobra meeting and set out urgently how his Government will keep people safe amid this crisis."

    Burnham said in an earlier statement that he would make sure Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service had "all of the support" needed to tackle the ongoing wildfire.