A fire in eastern England burns uncontrollably since Wednesday and is six kilometers from a nuclear power plant
During the night, about 200 tourist caravans have been evacuated, while the country faces a drought situation
LondonA large forest fire is keeping dozens of firefighters mobilized this Thursday in Suffolk, a rural county in eastern England (East Anglia), northeast of London and with a coast on the North Sea. The affected area, Dunwich Heath, is near Leiston, about 130 kilometers from the British capital, and is only about six kilometers from the Sizewell B nuclear power plant, one of the UK's main energy facilities, which generates 3% of the country's electricity.
The Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service declared the large-scale incident after about 90 personnel were deployed to combat flames that began on Wednesday around 5:30 p.m., near Coastguard Cottages, properties of the National Trust, located in an area of great natural value.
The fire, which this morning continues to be out of control, has spread rapidly in a south-westerly direction and has forced the evacuation of about 200 caravans from Cliff House Holiday Park overnight. The evacuated residents and tourists have been temporarily rehoused in the nearby village of Westleton, where neighbors have provided food and assistance. The commander of the operation, Christopher May, has warned that the work to extinguish the fire could still take between 24 and 48 hours due to its size and complexity. Authorities have asked the public to avoid the area while firefighting efforts continue. Compared to the fires in France or Spain, the dimensions of this fire are minimal. So far, no more than 150 hectares.
Firefighters have assured that, for the moment, the fire poses no risk to Sizewell B, as the distance and wind direction keep the flames away from the facility, which has specific means to deal with potential forest fires. However, they have stressed that it is a "dynamic" situation and that any changes will be communicated. The fire comes just hours after the Environment Agency officially declared drought conditions in seven areas of England, including all of London and much of the east of the country. With only 7% of the usual rainfall recorded in July – and only 1% in the south of England – and in the midst of the fourth heatwave this summer, experts warn that the UK could face "exceptionally severe" forest fire episodes.
