Fire-ravaged heath 'could take 25 years to recover'

Wildlife habitats devastated by the "utterly sickening" fire at Dunwich Heath could take up to 25 years to recover.

The area along the Suffolk coast went up in flames at about 17:00 BST on Wednesday before engulfing more than 250 acres (100 hectares) – equivalent to about 140 football pitches.

It included parts of the RSPB's Minsmere nature reserve, which is home to rare birds and reptiles.

Adam Rowlands, from the RSPB, said the blaze had been "hugely consequential" for the wildlife, and retired ecologist Chris Keeling said it was "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.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established but Keeling, who used to work for Natural England, urged people not to have barbecues or smoke cigarettes in the open.

"It's so important we protect what is left, and now with climate change and these very dry summers it's so important people behave responsibly," he added.

"It's sad to say that we have to be pushed to the threshold before we appreciate what we're losing, but it's so often the way with humanity."

Minsmere was where BBC Springwatch was filmed in 2014 for its 10th anniversary.

Rowlands, the Suffolk area manager for the RSPB, said it was the biggest blaze at Minsmere "in living memory".

He added that rare species of butterfly would have been in the egg stage at the time of the fire, and bird populations would be at risk.

"Most of them have finished breeding so they'll be able to escape the fire, and last night we could see nightjars flying above the fireball up on the heath," he said.

"But the problem is it will look like a scene of devastation afterwards. All the vegetation will go and the majority of those birds will lose the places where they nest.

"Some of that habitat will take five, 10, 25 years to come back to what it looked like before the fire broke out yesterday afternoon."

At the height of the inferno, more than 100 firefighters were deployed to the scene, and homes and 200 caravans had been evacuated.

No injuries have been reported, and a relief centre for those affected has been set up at Westleton Village Hall.

The wildfire comes just weeks after Wildlife Wise said it was working with the fire service to raise awareness in a campaign called Wildfire Free Suffolk.

Across the county between January and mid-November 2025, crews attended 310 fires in the open – an increase of 105 on the previous year.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust said it was "heartbreaking to see" the fire "destroying precious wildlife habitats and causing distress" and disruption to local communities.

Meanwhile, Russell Clement, general manager for the National Trust on the Suffolk coast, said the landscape had been significantly damaged, and it would "have a knock-on impact on the wildlife that calls Dunwich home".

He added: "This is obviously heartbreaking news, as so many people will have fond memories of this precious landscape, which is normally covered in purple heather at this time of year."

The iconic Coastguard Cottages appeared to have escaped the path of the fire.

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

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