UK – Wildfire near Sizewell nuclear site leaves Suffolk landscape ‘devastated’

July 31, 2026

A major wildfire near Britain’s largest nuclear power station has caused extensive damage to one of Suffolk’s most important natural landscapes, with conservation experts warning that parts of the area may take decades to recover.

More than 100 firefighters have been working to control the blaze at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston on the Suffolk coast, since Wednesday evening. Although the fire service said the situation was stabilising on Friday, the incident remained classified as a major emergency.

The firefighting operation has involved specialist resources, including a helicopter capable of dropping 1,000 litres of seawater during each pass, along with six appliances from the London Fire Brigade.

The fire has destroyed around 150 hectares (370 acres) of heathland, woodland and vegetation across Dunwich Heath and the nearby Minsmere nature reserve. Both areas are protected habitats and support some of the UK’s rarest wildlife species.

Russell Clement, the National Trust’s general manager for the Suffolk coast, said the blaze had swept through the Dunwich Heath reserve, leaving it almost impossible to recognise.

He described the damage as “total devastation” to one of the country’s most important coastal heathland environments, adding that the landscape had been transformed by the fire.

The dry conditions have coincided with another period of extreme heat across Europe. Scientists have linked increasingly intense heatwaves to climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. Fire crews across the UK have been dealing with several other wildfires this week.

Around 50 firefighters have been tackling a blaze on Ministry of Defence land at Middlewick Ranges in Colchester. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said the fire had been surrounded and crews were continuing efforts to extinguish it.

In Scotland, firefighters said they had made significant progress in controlling a wildfire in the Cairngorms, which began two weeks earlier. Several other fires have also been reported in the Doncaster area.

The Suffolk wildfire is located a few miles from Sizewell B nuclear power station and the construction site for the new Sizewell C plant.

Freddie Gulliver, an emergency manager with the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit, said there was no immediate concern about the fire spreading towards Sizewell B.

EDF, which operates Sizewell B, confirmed that the fire was not affecting the station’s operations but said it was continuing to monitor the situation.

The company said it was not placing the site on high alert.