UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the fire as a "very serious incident", with the blaze expected to take at least 48 more hours to contain.
A firefighter tackling a blaze at Dunwich Heath, which began on Jul 29, in eastern England, Jul 30, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service)
31 Jul 2026 03:49AM
DUNWICH: Firefighters in eastern England were "making good progress" Thursday (Jul 30) battling a "dynamic" wildfire which has engulfed swathes of heathland and prompted the evacuation of dozens of residents and visitors, local officials said.Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze at Dunwich Heath, near England's east coast, had grown to cover around 150 hectares (370 acres) - the size of approximately 210 football pitches.It follows a period of exceptionally dry and hot weather, which has left Wales and more than half of England in drought and contributed to once-rare wildfires breaking out in different places.Changing wind conditions were making the blaze's spread unpredictable, said the Suffolk service, but London's fire service was sending six fire engines to join 18 fire engines and 120 firefighters already at the scene.The service, which is responsible for the sprawling rural county northeast of London, said it expected the response to continue for at least the next 48 hours. It declared a major incident late Wednesday after flames erupted hours earlier and began to threaten local properties including a holiday park for caravans, leading to evacuations.
