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A wildfire in Suffolk has destroyed 146 football pitches of rare heathland. Campaigners say it will take decades to recover, and is calling for the government to make the UK more resilient to fire and other impacts of climate change.
Scorched trees at Dunwich Heath (c) National Trust Justin MinnsAn iconic landscape usually carpeted in purple heather this time of year has been reduced to dust and scorched trees by a wildfire caused by the drought.
Dunwich Heath in Suffolk is lowland heath, one of rarest habitats in the country. An estimated 92% of this type of habitat has been lost in England over the last 120 years.
The heath is home to birds such as nightjars, skylarks and the very rare Dartford warbler, as well as adders, lizards and slow-worms, and butterflies including the rare silver-studded blue.
We will do everything in our power to bring nature back to this special corner of Suffolk – so that it’s home once more to the many species that lived there.Only recently, the heath had shown remarkable signs of recovery after the extreme heat and drought of 2022. Wildlife populations were in
creasing, and fire breaks had been cut and dead heather removed to mitigate against wildfires.The UK needs c
limate-resilient landscapesBut last week, blazes fuelled by heatwaves and drought destroyed 104 hectares (equivalent to 14
6 football pitches) of the land, owned by
the National Trust. The conservation charity has called on government to take immediate action to better protect wildlife, landscapes and communities
Original Record.
This archived record authored by ‘Catherine Early’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
English