Suffolk heathland fire stood down as major incident

A heathland fire which engulfed an area the size of 210 football pitches in Suffolk has been stood down as a major incident, almost two weeks after the blaze broke out.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the decision followed a fire risk assessment of Dunwich Heath and RSPB Minsmere.

The service stressed "the incident itself is not over" and said people must stay away from the heathland, where firefighters remained to dampen down, monitor for hotspots, and any further fire activity.

Jon Lacey, the county's chief fire officer, said the decision to stand down the major incident reflected the "significant progress made by our crews and everyone who has supported this response".

The firefighting response to the incident would scale back from 17:00 BST, the service said.

Fire crews were brought in from across the country during the height of the blaze, under the national resilience programme.

Lacey, who expressed his "enormous gratitude" for the additional support, said: "I want to be absolutely clear that this incident is not over.

"The nature of this landscape means fire can remain hidden underground for some considerable time, which is why we continue to ask people to stay away from the heath itself and allow our crews to work safely."

He added that recovery work could now start with firefighters remaining at Dunwich "for as long as they are needed."

All of Suffolk's 35 fire stations sent crews to the scene, with 600 firefighters in total involved in putting out the blaze described as "unprecedented" by the fire chief.

Tristan Gale, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for planning, devolution and the fire service, said the move out of major incident arrangements also marked the "beginning of a coordinated recovery phase" led by East Suffolk Council.

More stories on the Dunwich Heath wildfire:

• Will tourism suffer following devastating wildfire?
• 'Dunwich can take heart from our wildlife recovery'
• Volunteers say work to tackle fire 'relentless'

The service confirmed Dunwich village and surrounding communities remained open for business.

Dunwich Road, from Westleton to Dunwich, would reopen at 17:00.

The hot weather meant the risk of fires in the open remained high, and the fire service urged people to be mindful of behaviour that could start a blaze.

The fire which started on 29 July burnt through some 371 acres of heathland (150 hectares).

Homes and a holiday caravan park were evacuated after the fire broke out, and there were fears for rare birds and wildlife that live on the heath and at nearby RSPB Minsmere.

The National Trust, which owns Dunwich Heath, an area of outstanding beauty, said £350,000 had been raised so far to help restore the area in the future.

On social media, RSPB Minsmere posted that it would be reopening most of the reserve to the public from Tuesday. It confirmed surrounding wetland areas were unaffected by the fire.

"But the impact on the heathland will be felt for years to come, and we will begin assessing the extent of the damage when it is safe to do so," it said.

It asked all visitors to check in at the Visitor Hub first "so that we can give guidance on what areas are open and what to avoid".

Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.