Properties evacuated as firefighters battle heath blaze amid heatwave

Properties have been evacuated as firefighters battle a large heathland blaze on the Suffolk coast during the UK’s fourth heatwave of the summer.A major incident was declared after Suffolk Fire and Rescue responded to reports of a wildfire at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, shortly after 5.30pm on Wednesday.“Following the update throughout the night, crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue are still tackling a large wildfire at Dunwich Heath,” the fire service said in an update on Thursday morning.“Throughout the night crews have been focused on protecting properties including Coastguard Cottages, Mount Pleasant Farm and Cliff House Holiday Park.“All individuals have been evacuated successfully.”The fire spread south-west towards St James’ Church, off Westleton Road, the service said, confirming the major incident declaration had been made “due to the size and complexity” of the blaze.Temperatures soared across parts of the UK on Wednesday, reaching into the 30s in some places.In an update late on Wednesday evening, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service station manager Dan Davis urged the public to avoid the area if possible and keep windows and doors closed.“Crews from Leiston attended the scene and were met with what is a large-scale, wind-driven forestry fire,” he said.“The incident has subsequently been upgraded to a major incident.“We currently have approximately 90 firefighters on scene working incredibly hard in arduous conditions to bring this fire under control.”The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had issued an amber heat-health alert for the East Midlands, the East, South East and London.The alert remains in place until 9am on Thursday, with the agency previously warning that rising temperatures may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.But the Met Office said a cooler change was on the way, with temperatures expected to fall much closer to average across much of the UKDeputy Chief Forecaster Mark Sidaway said: “The forecast is showing potential for more rain than much of the UK has experienced over the last few weeks.Read More“However, it looks as though amounts of rain for many will be fairly modest, and won’t balance out the shortfall that we have recorded this summer. It’s still possible that some areas of the south will miss out and see little or no rainfall.”People sunbathing and swimming in the Thames at Ham, in London (PA)PA WireThe Environment Agency separately warned that swathes of England are suffering from “flash drought” as a result of very low rainfall and high temperatures.The areas are East Anglia, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex – covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.The Suffolk blaze is one of several major wildfires being tackled across the UK.(PA Graphics)PA GraphicsSeparately, in Scotland, crews said they were making “significant progress” tackling a wildfire in the Cairngorms that broke out two weeks ago.A number of homes in the remote region were evacuated as plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, and vast swathes of trees, heather and grasslands have been left charred and blackened.Speaking on the track on Wednesday, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) deputy assistant chief officer Michael Humphreys told the Press Association that fire crews are making progress in tackling the blaze.However, he warned the risk of flare-ups remains high.“It’s been an absolutely devastating fire for wildlife and for the local community who have come out in force to really support us, which we really do appreciate,” he said.“To control this fire, what we’ve had to put in place is a significant number of fire breaks.”