Sizewell B is one of the UK's major nuclear sites, and is located within a few miles of the active Dunwich wildfire - so emergency services are paying it special attention16:44, 30 Jul 2026Updated 16:45, 30 Jul 2026A massive wildfire is raging within just a few miles of a major UK nuclear site - Sizewell B - after growing to the size of 140 football pitches.‌Although firefighters have tackled the devastating Dunwich fire in Dunwich Heath, Suffolk, for nearly 24 hours, it has grown to the size of 100 hectares - or 247 acres. Suffolk Fire and Rescue is believed to have deployed 18 engines to the area, and plan to continue tackling the blaze for another at least 36 hours as it edges ever closer to Suffolk's spawling nuclear complex.‌Pillars of smoke have been seen rising behind Sizewell B this morning, with officials scrambling to reassure the general public as operators EDF confirm they are "closely monitoring the situation".‌The UK's youngest power plantSizewell B is the UK's youngest nuclear power plant, having been opened just over 30 years ago on Valentine's Day 1995, around eight years after construction began. Sizewell uses a pressurised water reactor , the most common type of reactor which combines liquid and steam to generate electricity.According to EDF, the power it generates is enough to power every home in Suffolk for nearly 200 years, and meets approximately three percent of the UK's total electricity demands.‌At its current rate that power is enough to deliver electricity to around 2.5 million homes. As part of a "golden age of nuclear", it will remain active for another few decades. An extension agreed last year will see it remain operative until 2055 after the Government postponed an initially agreed date of 2035 by 20 years.Is Sizewell B on alert?The fire at Dunwich has been declared a "major incident", and it is raging around three miles away from Sizewell B and its neoughbouring in-development power station, Sizewell C.‌It had been reported earlier that the fire was headed directly towards the complex after a change of wind, and that plant bosses had placed the plant on "high alert". This has however since been denied by EDF, which said the site remains safe, and its position on the fire's danger "unchanged".A spokesperson for the firm said: “We are continuing to monitor the situation, but the fire at Dunwich Heath is not currently affecting operations at Sizewell B power station."‌Will the Dunwich fire reach Sizewell B?Power plant bosses have been keen to stress that the fire currently poses no risk to Sizewell B, which operates from a base on the Suffolk coast. It is not getting bigger, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Chief fire officer Jon Lacey said today during a briefing at Westleton Village Hall this afternoon, and is moving inland rather than out to the coast.Asked about the danger to Sizewell B and C, Mr Lacey said: "We're not expecting the wind direction to change to send the fire to Sizewell C or B."B is the main concern, but the big building site is also a priority for us. The terrain and land between us and the fire and Sizewell B and C means it's not a significant fire spread concern. At the moment Sizewell B and C are being monitored and we're in consultation with them, but we are not worried about the fire spreading in that direction.‌"It's a difficult fire because they're so wide spread and the resources are so wide spread. It is definitely one of the more challenging incidents we've had here in Suffolk."Is there an emergency plan for Sizewell B and C?Sizewell B is understood to have a detailed emergency plan that prepares workers in the event of a range of scenarios, including a potential fire at the site. Sizewell C is nearby, and currently an active construction site. A spokesperson for the site has confirmed that the site is "closely monitoring" the wildfire's development.Article continues belowA spokesperson for Sizewell C said the construction site was also “closely monitoring” the growing blaze, adding that it “currently poses low risk to Sizewell C, given its distance from site and watercourses in between”.The spokesperson added particular attention is being paid to smoke production and the state of the road network, adding: "Sizewell C sites and offices continue to operate as normal, but we are continuously assessing the impacts of smoke and the effects on the road network to ensure that our people remain safe and emergency services have priority."