Major incident declared in Suffolk as crews battle heath fire near Leiston
Suffolk fire and rescue service has declared a major incident after a wildfire broke out on Dunwich Heath near Leiston on Wednesday evening, sending about
Suffolk fire and rescue service has declared a major incident after a wildfire broke out on Dunwich Heath near Leiston on Wednesday evening, sending about 90 firefighters to the scene. Several people were evacuated as crews worked through Thursday morning to contain the blaze.
The fire has raised concerns because of its size and complexity, though officials say there is no current threat to Sizewell B. The station is about 5km away from Leiston, and fire crews have urged people to stay away from the area where possible and keep windows and doors shut.
Fire crews remain at the scene
The service said it was called to reports of the wildfire shortly after 5.30pm on Wednesday. Crews remained on site the next morning as the fire continued to burn across heathland on the Suffolk coast.
A service update on Thursday morning said: “At this time there is no current risk to Sizewell B, due to the distance from the fire and the direction it is travelling (easterly). However, this is a live and dynamic situation and as a result any further updates will be shared accordingly.”
Why the declaration matters
Declaring a major incident allows emergency services to bring a larger, coordinated response to a fast-moving event. In this case, the fire service said it took the step “due to the size and complexity” of the blaze. That signals the scale of the challenge on the ground. Large, wind-driven heath fires can move quickly and force difficult decisions about nearby homes, roads and critical infrastructure.
For residents, the immediate advice is simple: avoid the area if possible and keep doors and windows closed. The situation remains live, and the next update will likely focus on whether crews can stop the fire spreading further across the heathland. “This is a live and dynamic situation,” the service said.
