Firefighters tackling a wildfire near to a nuclear power station in Suffolk will have “all the support” they need, the Prime Minister has pledged as the blaze continues to grow.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident after being called to reports of a blaze at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, shortly after 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Late on Thursday afternoon, the service said the area affected has grown to 150 hectares – the equivalent of approximately 210 football pitches – with 18 fire engines and more than 100 firefighters at the scene.
Speaking to reporters during a visit in Cumbria earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “We’ve got the situation under close monitoring, and I’m receiving regular updates.
“It is a very serious incident.
“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.”
The fire is a few miles away from nuclear power station Sizewell B and the construction site for new power station Sizewell C.
In its latest update, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the major incident response can be expected to carry on for another 48 hours at least.
Around 50 people have also been evacuated to Westleton, whose village hall now serves as a rest centre.
“Changing wind conditions continue to affect the direction and behaviour of the fire, making it difficult to predict how it may spread,” the update on the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service website said.
“Firefighters continue to work with support from our neighbours in the region. We have also requested additional national support, including wildfire specialist appliances, officers, and tactical advisers.
“Around 50 people have received support through the rest centre, which remains open.
“We expect the response to continue for at least the next 48 hours.
“While some rain is possible overnight, several more dry days are forecast.”
Freddie Gulliver, from the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit, told residents in a meeting at Westleton Village Hall that fire engines are being brought from London to tackle the wildfire.
“They (Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service) are making good progress and tactics are working,” Mr Gulliver told dozens of people who gathered in the hall.
“They are getting extra engines from London as well, so that’s the national support that they ask for as well to bring into the area.
“There will still be no access to campsites or properties that have been evacuated, evacuated for tonight, in this evening.”
He added that the fire service is “confident” it is tackling the fire, including by filling trenches with water and dropping water from helicopters.
On Thursday, an EDF spokesperson said the fire was “not affecting operations at Sizewell B power station”.
The energy supplier said it was “closely monitoring the situation” and it is understood Sizewell B has an emergency plan in place that covers a range of scenarios including a fire on site.
Suffolk County Council said Cliff House Holiday Park, containing some 200 caravans, had been completely evacuated as a precaution.
Dilys Hall, 75, who has been helping people evacuated to Westleton, said evacuees were “bemused”.
“They were all concerned but they all realised that until the morning came, and things settled down a bit, there wasn’t a lot that could be done,” she told the Press Association.
“At lunchtime it became clear that the fire was serious enough that nobody was going to be able to get back, particularly to Cliff House (Holiday Park), which was where a lot of the evacuees have come from, until at least late afternoon tomorrow, and possibly later than that.”
Lisa Gordon, 54, on holiday with her husband and dog in their touring caravan, evacuated from Cliff House Holiday Park on Wednesday night.
Mrs Gordon told PA: “Just looking at the pictures… it’s quite worrying how close it is to the park now.
“It’s a car, it’s a caravan, and it’s insured but at the end of the day it’s a lot of hassle, isn’t it?
“They are things that can be replaced. But it’s not the relaxing day we thought we’d be having.”
She said that when she and her husband were told to leave the holiday park, they could see smoke behind the trees.
Mrs Gordon added: “It was only as we walked to reception to meet the police that all of a sudden it kind of hit us.
“So where we were it didn’t seem too bad at all. We weren’t really panicking at all.
“But as we got to sort of the reception and the entrance, then the smoke hit and we had to drive with the police through quite a lot of smoke.”
The fire service posted a video of damage caused by the blaze, which has spread to parts of RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, showing blackened trees and scorched ground.
Power has also been cut to three postcodes across Suffolk, according to an update on Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service’s website on Thursday afternoon.
The power cut currently affects 116 customers and teams from UK Power Networks (UKPN) are working to fix the issue.
UKPN has not yet confirmed when the power will be back on, the fire service added.
On Thursday night, Angela Rayner paid tribute to firefighters in a video posted to social media.
“I want to pay tribute to the brave firefighters that are tackling the wildfire in Suffolk,” the Communities Secretary said.
“Thank you. Your skill and dedication and bravery is outstanding.
“My thoughts are also with the residents that have had to leave their homes. I know it’s incredibly difficult circumstances.
“The Prime Minister has made clear that the whole of Government will ensure that the fire and rescue services mutual aid and local services have all the resources they need.”
Earlier on Thursday, Green Party leader Zack Polanski called for Mr Burnham to host an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the outbreak of wildfires in Britain, including in Suffolk.
He said: “Thousands of people have been killed by deadly temperatures in the most extreme heatwaves we’ve ever faced.
“And yet our Prime Minister is silent in the face of this existential threat.
“Burnham should call a Cobra meeting and set out urgently how his Government will keep people safe amid this crisis.”
Temperatures soared across parts of the UK on Wednesday, reaching into the 30s in some places.
According to the Met Office, Suffolk has only received 2% of its average monthly rainfall for July so far.
The forecaster said on Thursday afternoon other counties have recorded as low as 1% or 0% of average rainfall for July, with Friday being the last day of the month.
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