Dunwich Heath wildfire major incident declared over

The blaze at Dunwich Heath has been an extensive multi-agency emergency response with all 600 of Suffolk's firefighters fighting the fire since July 29.

On Monday, August 10, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) declared the major incident over, but emphasised that the fire itself remains a live incident.

Jon Lacey, chief fire officer for SFRS, said: "Standing down the major incident is an important milestone and reflects the significant progress made by our crews and everyone who has supported this response.

"But I want to be absolutely clear that this incident is not over.

"Suffolk firefighters will remain at Dunwich Heath, continuing to damp down, monitor the affected area and deal with hotspots or any further fire activity that emerges."

READ MORE: What could have caused the Dunwich wildfire? Investigations ongoing one week later

Jon Lacey, chief fire officer (Image: Lucy Taylor)

Crews from across the country had been sent to support the operation under national resilience protocols.

These teams will now begin to withdraw, with SFRS taking full responsibility for the ongoing response.

The first call reporting the fire was made at 4.49pm on Wednesday, July 29.

On arrival, crews found 150 metres by 50 metres of land already burning.

This quickly spread and eventually spread across around 150 hectares of heathland and woodland.

The fire presented significant challenges due to the landscape.

Before and after photos of the damage caused by the Dunwich Heath wildfire (Image: Newsqust/PA Media)

Crews established around five kilometres of firebreaks, each approximately 15 metres wide, to contain the blaze.

Public access to the heath remains restricted, including National Trust, RSPB, and other affected land.

However, Dunwich village and its surrounding communities remain open and visitors are encouraged to support local businesses while observing all closures and restrictions near the fire zone.

Dunwich Road, from Westleton to Dunwich, will reopen at 5pm on Monday, though some traffic controls remain in place.

Tristan Gale, Suffolk County Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (Image: Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service)

Councillor Tristan Gale, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for planning, devolution and the fire service, said: "The scale of what has happened at Dunwich Heath is difficult to overstate.

"Every one of Suffolk’s 35 fire stations has contributed crews to this incident, supported by firefighters and specialist resources from across the country and an enormous network of partner and voluntary organisations.

"I also want to thank residents and businesses in Dunwich, Westleton and the surrounding communities.

"They have lived with road closures, smoke, disruption and uncertainty for almost two weeks and have shown tremendous patience and support for our emergency services.

"Today is an important step forward, but the incident is not over.

"I would urge everyone to continue following the advice of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, stay away from the heath itself and give our crews the space they need to finish their work safely."

The fire began nearly two weeks ago (Image: Jacob King/PA Wire)

The transition out of major incident status marks the beginning of a coordinated recovery effort.

East Suffolk Council is leading the multi-agency recovery phase, working with landowners, community representatives, and other organisations.

The first meeting of the recovery coordinating group was held on August 10.

Recovery and emergency response activities will continue in parallel as fire crews remain on site.

Visitors are being urged to follow all signage and guidance from emergency services and landowners.

The public is also advised to avoid closed routes and public rights of way in the affected area where signed.