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Firefighters are continuing to battle a large wildfire close to three major nuclear power sites in the UK county of Suffolk.
The blaze broke out on Wednesday on Dunwich Heath on the UK’s east coast before it spread quickly southwest. It is currently covering around 150 hectares, but fire crews are making “good progress” against the flames, Suffolk County Council said in an update on Thursday evening.
A spokesperson for energy company EDF told Euronews that the fire “is not currently affecting operations at Sizewell B power station” but that the company was “continuing to monitor the situation.”
“We are not on high alert,” they added.
Sizewell B has a well-rehearsed emergency plan ready to go for emergency scenarios, including a fire on its site.
In a post on its official X account, the planned Sizewell C nuclear station said it was also “closely monitoring the fire at Dunwich Heath” but that it “currently poses a low risk to Sizewell C due to its distance from the site and the watercourses in between.”
“Our sites and offices remain open and operating as normal,” the post reads. “We are continuously assessing smoke conditions and any impacts on the road network to help keep people safe and ensure emergency services have priority access.”
Residents and visitors have been told to avoid the area around the fire, with some locals evacuated from their homes to a rest centre.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has deployed 18 fire engines as well as specialist equipment such as drones and 4×4 quad bikes to tackle the flames, amid what it called “challenging conditions.” Officers from Suffolk Police are also supporting fire crews at the scene.
Angela Rayner, the UK Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, thanked firefighters for their work and said the government was “ready to offer our support.”
“My thoughts are with people who have been affected by the Suffolk wildfire,” she added in a social media post.
Europe’s wildfire battle
It comes amid a series of wildfires that have ravaged parts of Europe this month.
In southwestern France, a devastating blaze has burned through around 42,000 hectares over the last week, while Spain’s Madrid region has also been hit hard.
Fires have also affected parts of Italy, Greece, Portugal and Turkey.