Suffolk wildfire continues to grow as Burnham pledges support for firefighters

Suffolk Wildfire Grows as Burnham Pledges Support

Traveloasisspot.com – The Suffolk wildfire continues to grow as the Prime Minister has pledged full backing for emergency crews tackling the blaze near a nuclear facility. Andy Burnham made his commitment during a visit to Cumbria on Thursday, stressing that the government is closely monitoring the situation and will ensure firefighters receive every resource they need.

Major Incident Declared

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident after the fire broke out at Dunwich Heath near Leiston on Wednesday evening. The alert was raised shortly after 5:30pm, prompting a large-scale response from local and regional teams.

By Thursday afternoon, the burned area had reached 150 hectares—equivalent to around 210 football pitches. Eighteen fire engines and more than one hundred firefighters are now working to contain the expanding flames.

“We’ve got the situation under close monitoring, and I’m receiving regular updates,” the Prime Minister said. “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.”

Nuclear Sites Monitored

The fire is burning just a few miles from two key nuclear energy installations: the running Sizewell B power station and the Sizewell C construction site. EDF confirmed that operations at Sizewell B are unaffected and that an emergency plan covers multiple scenarios, including on-site fires.

Suffolk County Council also reported that Cliff House Holiday Park, home to roughly 200 caravans, has been completely evacuated. Access to the park and nearby campsites will stay restricted for evacuated residents.

Community Evacuated

About fifty people have been moved to Westleton, where the village hall is operating as a rest centre. Dilys Hall, a seventy-five-year-old volunteer helping evacuees, said people were initially unsure but understood they needed to wait for conditions to improve.

“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,” Hall told the Press Association.

Lisa Gordon, fifty-four, was holidaying with her husband and dog at Cliff House when evacuation orders came on Wednesday evening. She said the flames had come dangerously close to their caravan but remained hopeful that their possessions could be replaced.

“Just looking at the pictures… it’s quite worrying how close it is to the park now,” Mrs. Gordon told PA. “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?”

Operations to Continue

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the major incident response would last at least forty-eight hours. Changing wind patterns have made it difficult to predict the fire’s direction, and national support including specialist wildfire appliances and tactical advisers has been requested.

“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 at Westleton Village Hall that fire engines were being sent from London as part of the national effort. He said tactics were working well, with crews filling trenches with water and helicopters dropping water from above.

Mr. Gulliver confirmed that the fire service was confident in its strategy and that no one would be allowed access to evacuated campsites or properties for the rest of Thursday evening.