<p>Dozens of residents were evacuated from homes and vacation parks in eastern England as firefighters tackled a wildfire about four miles from a nuclear power facility. The blaze started on Wednesday afternoon, spanning nearly 250 acres at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, a protected heathland area on England’s eastern coast.</p>
<p>Emergency responders declared a major incident, indicating a event with serious consequences requiring extraordinary measures by multiple agencies. The local fire service stated that there is currently no risk to Sizewell B due to the fire’s distance and wind direction, while noting that the situation remains dynamic.</p>
<p>Around 70 firefighters were deployed on Wednesday, with the service noting on Thursday that firefighting efforts were strengthened due to changing wind conditions. About 18 fire vehicles were involved and roughly 200 trailers at a nearby vacation park had been evacuated.</p>
<p>There have been no reported deaths or injuries. Police urged the public to avoid the area and a nearby beach as the fire spread.</p>
<p>The Suffolk wildfire is one of roughly 200 fires in England and Wales over the past two weeks amid warnings that the country is unprepared for increasing wildfire risk from climate change. In Scotland, responders are still combating a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park that began more than two weeks ago.</p>
<p>After requesting military assistance, the head of Scotland’s government indicated that British defense authorities do not possess aerial firefighting assets stationed in the U.K., prompting concerns about readiness for more severe wildfires.</p>
<p>In Suffolk, fire crews were photographed dousing scorched land as the blaze continued to burn vegetation. A fire service commander said crews would likely fight the fire for the next 24 to 48 hours given the incident’s size and complexity, and that the operation remained a major incident.</p>
<p>EDF, which operates Sizewell B, stated that the fire is not currently impacting operations at the power station and that operators are monitoring the situation. A separate Sizewell C project site said it was closely monitoring the fire but noted a low risk due to distance and water barriers.</p>
<p>England declared a drought in half the country, with calls for reduced water use as rainfall in July was only 7% of expected levels. Wales also declared a drought on Thursday. London reported a rise in grass fires across the city amid the hot, dry conditions, and the Health Security Agency estimated thousands of excess deaths linked to heat waves in May and June.</p>
<br><br><br><br>