The emergency services in Suffolk, England, have declared a “major incident” as they struggle to contain a wildfire that has swelled to around 370 acres, roughly the size of 210 soccer pitches.
“Changing wind conditions continue to affect the direction and behavior of the fire, making it difficult to predict how it may spread,” Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said in an update Thursday afternoon.
More than 120 firefighters have been on site tackling the blaze at Dunwich Heath, an area of coastal lowland in the east of England, since the fire broke out on Wednesday.
The blaze has spread across heathland and fields, forcing dozens of people to be evacuated from their homes, with vast stretches of land left charred.
Chief fire officer Jon Lacey described the blaze as “one of the largest” he remembers in the history of Suffolk.
“The fire is still developing. It is a challenging environment to be able to extinguish that fire,” Lacey said at a Thursday press conference. “We have surrounded it with resources, particularly on the fire front that is moving forward to make sure that we can protect the buildings, other forestry, and other items that need to be protected.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the local authorities will have “all the support, mutual aid, [and] other services that they need,” as they continue to work around-the-clock amid another U.K. heat wave.
Read More: What Is a Fire Cloud and How Are They Making Europe’s Wildfires More Dangerous?
The wildfire has caused power outages in the surrounding areas, placing additional challenges on local services.
U.K. Power Networks said a power cut affecting 116 customers across three postcodes in the area is under investigation.
Meanwhile, officials have quelled concerns about nearby nuclear power stations.
An EDF Energy spokesperson told TIME “the fire at Dunwich Heath is not currently affecting operations at Sizewell B power station but we are continuing to monitor the situation—we are not on high alert.”
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service also said neither Sizewell B or Sizewell C—a second nuclear power station under construction nearby—are considered to be at risk.
“At the moment, Sizewell B and C are being monitored. We’re in consultation with them, but we’re not worried about fire spreading in that direction,” Lacey said.
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Member of Parliament [MP] for Suffolk Coastal, praised the efforts of local officials and urged people to steer clear of the vicinity.
“I am so grateful, as I know so many others are, for the work of the fire brigade and the emergency services,” she said. “Please do avoid the area, and allow the fire and emergency services the space to respond.”
The wildfire has also raised concerns among local farmers.
Patrick Spencer, the lawmaker for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, described the wildfire as an “extremely worrying situation” and expressed he is “deeply conscious of the impact on our farming community.”
“At such a critical point in the year, with harvest under way or about to begin for many, this is an especially difficult time for farmers whose land, livestock, or livelihoods are at risk,” he said.
A series of heat waves have recently gripped England, worsening wildfire conditions.
The U.K. Health Security Agency on Thursday said it estimates there were 2,877 heat-associated deaths during two notable periods of hot weather in May and June 2026, putting the country on track to record its highest number of heat-related deaths since modern records began.
Seven areas of England have officially been declared as being in drought, after “record low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures.”
British Water Minister Emma Hardy warned that the U.K. needs to be prepared “for this new normal” moving forward.
“Our climate is changing, droughts are becoming increasingly common,” she said. “We expect water companies to follow their drought plans, to go further and faster to reduce leaks, and to ensure supplies are not disrupted even in the driest of weather.”
This is the third drought in the past five years, with former extreme dry spells happening in 2022 and 2025.
At the start of the summer, in the wake of last year’s blazes across North York Moors National Park in eastern England, the U.K. government strengthened its wildfire resilience, announcing it would be placing “teams of specialist firefighters will be positioned in key areas and ready to respond to fires across England.”
Read More: Photos Show the Destruction in France and Spain From Ferocious European Wildfires
The wildfire in England comes as other European countries, including France and Spain, continue to battle ferocious blazes.
Three firefighters died Wednesday while facing wildfires on the island of Crete and in the south of the mainland, the Greek fire department said.
The post ‘Major Incident’ Declared as England Wildfire Swells to Size of 210 Soccer Pitches appeared first on TIME.
