Key keywords: Suffolk wildfire, 200 football pitches fire, seawater firefighting helicopter, Suffolk coastal blaze, UK rural fire response, East Anglia wildfire, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, protected heathland habitat A large wildfire that broke out in a remote heathland area close to the Suffolk coast on Thursday morning has now expanded to cover an area equivalent to 200 standard football pitches, the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed in its latest public update. The blaze, which is believed to have started from an unextinguished campfire left unattended by day trippers earlier this week, spread rapidly amid unseasonably high temperatures, low humidity and strong easterly winds blowing in from the North Sea, creating conditions that SFRS described as “extremely challenging for frontline crews.” At the peak of the response, more than 15 fire engines, 80 firefighters and specialist off-road response teams were deployed to the site, alongside a dedicated aerial firefighting helicopter drafted in from the national UK Fire and Rescue Service aerial reserve. Unlike standard aerial firefighting operations that rely on transported freshwater supplies, the helicopter is drawing thousands of litres of seawater directly from the nearby coastline on each trip, cutting response times between water drops by more than 60% and allowing crews to target hard-to-reach sections of the blaze that are inaccessible to ground teams. Local authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations for three small nearby villages and two popular coastal campgrounds, with temporary rest centres set up at nearby community halls to house displaced residents and tourists. As of Friday afternoon, no confirmed casualties have been reported, though SFRS noted that three abandoned agricultural outbuildings and a 10-hectare section of protected heathland – home to rare native species including nightjars, sand lizards and native heather – have been destroyed by the flames. SFRS incident commander Mark Dawson told reporters that crews have so far contained roughly 35% of the blaze, but full extinguishment is expected to take at least another 48 hours if weather conditions remain stable. “We’re urging all members of the public to avoid the entire coastal heathland area for the next three days to give crews space to operate,” Dawson said. “This fire is a sharp reminder of how dangerous dry conditions are this summer. We are asking everyone to avoid all open fires in rural areas, and to report any signs of smoke or fire immediately to emergency services.”