Wildfire Burns Near Sizewell Plant as Drought Widens
A large wildfire burned for a third day on the Suffolk coast, coming within a few miles of the Sizewell B nuclear power station and forcing the evacuation of a holiday park, though firefighters reported making good progress by Saturday. It was one of several blazes across the country as drought widened, with the whole of Wales and around half of England now affected. The Prime Minister pledged support for the firefighters.
The Suffolk fire, though never a direct threat to the heavily protected nuclear plant, underlined how tinder-dry the countryside has become after a record-dry July. Crews battled fires elsewhere too, and water companies warned that hosepipe bans affecting tens of millions could tighten further with little rain forecast for weeks. Scientists link the lengthening droughts and more frequent wildfires to a warming climate, and warn that Britain is poorly prepared. Communities near the Suffolk blaze opened their doors to those forced to flee. Watch whether meaningful rain arrives and how the fires are contained.