Overview
- A wildfire that began on July 29 has burned roughly 370 acres (about 150 hectares) of Dunwich Heath and adjoining land inside the Minsmere reserve.
- The blaze has been managed as a major incident with every one of Suffolk’s 35 fire stations and help from about 18 other services, involving around 600 firefighters at peak response.
- Crews continue 24/7 damping down because scorched soil and underground roots or burrows are still smouldering with surface readings around 60°C and much higher temperatures below ground.
- Natural England has kept Dunwich Heath and the King Charles III coastal path closed until August 22, and firefighters have repeatedly had to divert resources to escort members of the public and dog walkers from the exclusion zone.
- The National Trust has raised about £350,000 for recovery, early costs are estimated at least £500,000, and a formal investigation into the cause—RSPB locating the ignition within Minsmere—remains under way.