Firefighters in Suffolk have stepped up efforts to contain a large wildfire that broke out on Dunwich Heath on Wednesday - watch aerial footage above
The fire service has declared a major incident "due to the size and complexity" of the blaze, with an area about the size of 140 football pitches on fire -the RSPB says it could take 25 years for the heathland to recover
Homes and 200 caravans have been evacuated, with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service saying no injuries have been reported so far
The fire service also says there is "no current risk to Sizewell B", the nuclear power station about four miles (6.4km) from the heath, but adds that this is a "dynamic situation" and it will share any updates
Justin North, who was staying at a holiday cottage in the area, told the BBC he was woken up by a "hammering" on the door last night and told to evacuate immediately
The blaze comes as the Environment Agency announced that half of England, including Suffolk, is officially in drought
Image source, GoogleThe Ship pub in Dunwich says it has closed to "ensure team and guest safety".
"Our guests have been contacted directly," they say in a statement, external.
They thank people for their patience and send their thoughts to those tackling the fire.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust says it is "heartbreaking" to see the fire at Dunwich Heath "destroying precious wildlife habitats and causing distress and disruption for local communities".
"Suffolk is officially in drought, and nature reserves are particularly vulnerable to wildfires due to the exceptionally dry vegetation," they add.
The spokesperson says its nearby Dingle Marshes reserve was unaffected, but that people should "remain vigilant".
People should not light BBQs, cigarette butts and should not litter in these areas, they continue.
"We're thinking of the brave fire crews, the local communities, and the local wildlife."
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA MediaThe MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Patrick Spencer, describes the fire as an "extremely worrying situation".
He thanks the fire service and other emergency teams for their work during "incredibly challenging conditions to keep people safe, and protect homes and property".
"My priority is making sure that everyone affected receives the information and assistance they need while the emergency response continues," he adds.
"I am also deeply conscious of the impact on our farming community.
"At such a critical point in the year, with harvest under way or about to begin for many, this is an especially difficult time for farmers whose land, livestock, or livelihoods are at risk."
Image source, GoogleLouise Eagle, general manager at Cliff House Holiday Park which is located near Dunwich Heath, says 100 of its onsite lodges were evacuated last night.
As well as this, visitors in tents and campervans were also evacuated with all accounted for and everyone confirmed safe.
She says it is a "shocking scenario" and she "really feels" for all those involved.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has posted footage of the devastation caused by the wildfire.
"Crews continue to work tirelessly as the response to this major incident continues," it said.
Suffolk County Council says the fire now covers 247.1 acres (100 hectares) - equivalent to about 140 football pitches.
This morning, the fire service told the BBC that about 24.7 acres was on fire.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has given an update on its social media pages and says it expects to continue fighting the blaze at Dunwich Heath for at least the next day.
Incident commander Christopher May, who is at the scene, says crews will continue to "fight fire" for the next 24 to 48 hours due to the "complexity" of the blaze.
Crews are trying to "minimise" the impact on the local environment as much as possible, he adds.
He adds: "In Suffolk we want you to go out and enjoy our wild spaces and nature reserves, it's something we'd encourage
"But we'd really like you to be safe and wild-fire aware. Please be careful discarding rubbish, cigarette butts or [having] open fires.
"These can have dramatic and devastating effects to wild land and does make it extremely challenging in this heat for firefighters to manage."
For more than 18 hours, firefighters have been battling to bring a coastal heathland fire under control.
Here's what we know so far:
The deputy mayor of Aldeburgh, TJ Haworth-Culf, describes the fire as "deeply distressing" in a statement on social media, external.
"I know I speak on behalf of all my fellow councillors and community when I say how grateful and humbled we are by the courage, dedication and professionalism of everyone involved," she said.
"We are all hoping for positive news over the coming hours and that the fire can be brought safely under control."
"Our thoughts are also with the communities of Westleton and Dunwich, the visitors staying at the nearby caravan park, and the teams from the RSPB and National Trust who are working hard to create firebreaks and limit the spread of the fire."
The following road closures remain in place:
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says changing wind conditions in the early hours of the morning are prompting more evacuations.
Winds are currently coming from the north-west and the fire is heading east.
More aerial pictures captured this morning show the heathland still burning heavily on the coastal site.
Currently about 90 firefighters are at the scene and 14 appliances, including fire trucks.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says the response was initially scaled down to 70 firefighters before being escalated up again, going back to 90 before 08:00 BST.
Image source, Alex TarryAlex Tarry tells BBC Radio Suffolk's Johnnie Wright that he was jogging along the coast at Sizewell at 05:00 BST when he saw all the smoke behind the Coastguard Cottages at Dunwich Heath.
"I ran up there, there was a fire front that could have been half-a-mile long, about 150m away from me.
"The cottages were completely deserted but [the fire was] moving toward [them]."
Image source, Alex TarryHe added: "It's very sad, a huge amount of heath is being affected.
"It's just absolutely shocking, it's coming closer and closer... I've known [Dunwich Heath] all my life and the wildlife, the history, the habitats has just been consumed.
"It was noisy with explosions, and bushes and trees were bursting into flames.
"There was just a feeling of there's nothing you can do and feeling utterly, utterly helpless... it's shocking."
Image source, Alex Tarry
Stav Danaos
BBC Weather
Image source, PA MediaProlonged dry weather and recent heatwaves are leaving large areas of vegetation across the area exceptionally dry, creating ideal conditions for wildfires to spread once ignited.
Heathland, grass, shrubs and woodland that would normally contain some moisture have now become highly flammable after weeks of little or no rainfall.
Moderate winds are also playing a significant role, helping the fire to spread rapidly across Dunwich Heath.
Fire crews are describing the incident as a wind-driven wildfire, with the exceptionally dry landscape allowing flames to move quickly and making efforts to contain the blaze more difficult.
The wildfire comes after Suffolk was among the areas of England officially declared to be in a drought.
While the drought did not necessarily cause the fire to start, it created the conditions for any ignition to develop into a much larger, more intense fire.
The combination of dry vegetation, low soil moisture and windy conditions have significantly increased the risk of large and fast-moving fires across the region.
However, the ignition that started the fire was most likely human caused – accidental or deliberate - and is still under investigation.
As the fire spread, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said it had been working to protect properties including Coastguard Cottages, Mount Pleasant Farm and Cliff House Holiday Park, all of which were evacuated overnight.
The fire service confirmed 200 caravans had been evacuated, but the exact number of people affected is not known.
Zoie O'Brien
in Westleton
Image source, Jamie Niblock/BBCPaul Ashton is the deputy leader of East Suffolk Council, and says he has been told the fire is still not under control.
"That's what we've heard from the fire brigade," he says.
"They're still working hard to get it under control, so the people that are in Westleton that stayed here last night are waiting, really.
"They can't go back to get their possessions or their cars, so we're looking after them.
"The people of Westleton have done a sterling job, put people up last night, they've been fed with breakfast.
"I think there's plans for lunch as well, so they're all being looked after fine."
The district's MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter says she has been receiving regular updates on the major incident, including speaking to Suffolk's chief fire officer this morning.
In a post on social media, she said: "I'm so grateful, as I know so many others are, for the work of the fire brigade and the emergency services."
The Suffolk Coastal MP urged residents in the smoke zone to follow the advice to keep their doors and windows closed.
The Labour politician also said "a huge thank you" to the residents who helped out evacuees.
Image source, Qays Najm/BBC
Luke Deal
in Westleton
Image source, Vikki Irwin/BBCThe fire has also spread to an area of RSPB Minsmere, which is next to Dunwich Heath.
Adam Rowlands, the Suffolk area manager for the RSPB, says "this is the biggest blaze we've seen at Minsmere, external in living memory", which has been "hugely consequential" for the local wildlife.
He says it could take up to 25 years for the heathland to return to the state it was in before the fire.
Rare species of butterfly would have been in the egg stage and birds were seen flying over fireballs.
Minsmere was previously the site where BBC Springwatch was filmed in 2014 for its 10th anniversary.
"Minsmere is a real jewel in the crown for the RSPB, many people will know it," Rowlands says.
"The heathland is incredibly important with some really rare wildlife... all of those bird populations will now 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.
"But the problem is it will look like a scene of devastation afterwards, all the vegetation will go and all those bird populations, the majority of them 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."
Vikki Irwin
in Westleton
Image source, Vikki Irwin/BBCArchie, 16, from west London, was staying at his grandparents' caravan on the Dunwich Cliffs estate and helped evacuate the site.
He said he had been standing outside and spotted "a glow through the trees", and moments later a firefighter emerged.
"It was a bit too close for comfort but I wasn't panicked," he said.
"He asked me to help go around, knocking on doors telling people to prepare a bag in case they had to evacuate tonight."
He said he'd been coming to the site since he was a child and knew it well to navigate in the dark.
"I had to knock on everyone's doors. I had to get this woman and her two babies out of bed, get them in the car, an older woman, and get everybody out."
He said eventually he couldn't see 5ft in front of him due to how heavy the smoke was.
