Heathland fire 'stable' and fundraiser set up

The blaze that has devastated heathland in Suffolk is now "stable" but crews have continued to tackle hotspots on what is the fourth day since the flames took hold.

The fire affecting RSPB Minsmere and Dunwich Heath started at about 17:00 BST on Wednesday and engulfed 371 acres (150 hectares) at its height - equivalent to the size of 210 football pitches.

Wildlife habitats of some of the UK's rarest species have been destroyed.

The National Trust has launched a fundraiser to help the habitats "recover and thrive in a changing climate".

Meanwhile, some local people have started returning to normal life.

A scheduled market went ahead at nearby Westleton earlier, which an organiser said was the chance for people to take their minds off recent events.

In an update shared earlier on Saturday, a Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "The situation remains stable, although firefighting operations continue and crews are responding to hotspots where they emerge."

Roads and footpaths in the area remain closed.

The National Trust, which looks after Dunwich Heath, has said the area only recently showed signs of recovery following extreme heat and drought in 2022.

"Moving forward we will need to create a healthier, more resilient landscape that can support wildlife long into the future," a spokesperson said.

Volunteers would be needed to help with recovery in the future, the trust added.

Celia Richardson, the charity's director of communications and fundraising, said any money donated as part of the appeal would only go to "this site".

RSPB Minsmere is home to avocets, bearded tits and bitterns.

Its landscapes include grasslands, lagoons, heathland and vegetated shingle, which supports a range of creatures, flora and fauna - not just birds.

Konik, Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies also graze there, and the RSPB says they are all safe and being cared for.

The charity's area manager, Adam Rowlands, has said it will take some habitats 25 years to recover.

At the height of the inferno, more than 100 firefighters were deployed to the scene and up to 150 residents and holidaymakers were estimated to have been forced from the area.

Wildlife photographer Jon Evans rented one of the Coastguard Cottages at RSPB Minsmere up until 2021, and said it was "amazing" the homes survived.

"I really don't know how they managed that," said Evans, who now lives in nearby Leiston.

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

A trio of friends from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, who were camping at Cliff House Holiday Park, ended up sleeping in a cosy VW Golf on Wednesday night.

"We didn't get much sleep," said Lynne Sawyer, speaking to the BBC at Westleton village earlier.

Crowds attended the market and Barbara Buckley, chairwoman of the trustees of Westleton Village Hall, said: "I thought it would be a good thing for people to be able to chat about things that aren't about the fire."

Some of the people helped were primary school age children from countries including Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany, taking part in the Pro Corda summer music school.

They had to evacuate from the grounds of Leiston Abbey, three miles from the wildfire, but local boarding school Framlingham College offered them alternative accommodation.

"My phone was blowing up with worried calls from parents - some of these kids have never been away from home before," said course organiser Annabel Thwaite.

Meanwhile, Green members at Suffolk County Council have called for the authority's climate emergency declaration to be reinstated, saying that the wildfire "makes it abundantly clear that Suffolk, like the rest of the world, is indeed experiencing a climate emergency".

The Reform UK-led council voted to rescind the declaration earlier this month. The council was contacted for comment.

The fire has taken hold about three miles (5km) north up the coast from the Sizewell B nuclear power plant.

On Friday evening, an EDF spokesperson said the blaze had not affected operations but that they continued to "closely monitor the situation".

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