Dunwich Heath fundraiser hits £350k in four days
PA MediaAn appeal to help restore Dunwich Heath after a devastating wildfire destroyed the National Trust reserve has raised £350,000 so far.
Firefighters remain at the scene after 371 acres of heathland (150 hectares) went up in flames on 29 July.
The National Trust, which is aiming to raise £500,000 said the site was "unrecognisable" and would require at least two years of "intensive work" to begin recovering.
In the week since the fire, which also affected RSPB Minsmere, about 600 firefighters from every fire station in Suffolk have attended the major incident.
Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, said the response to the fundraising appeal had been "extraordinary".
She said: "This beautiful purple landscape, once filled with the sound of warblers and skylarks and people enjoying a walk through the heather, is now unrecognisable."
ReutersThe trust has been unable to access the site for a full survey but they estimate that at least £500,000 will be needed initially, alongside two years "of intensive work to set the site on track to recovery", McGrady added.
"In the decade that follows, we'll turn Dunwich into a place that's not only great for nature and for people again, but also resilient to the changing climate," she said.
Work would include making the site safe, surveying the impact, habitat restoration and repairing visitor routes and facilities.
More on the wildfire at Dunwich:
At its peak, about 120 firefighters were on the scene of the county's largest ever wildfire response, Suffolk Fire and Rescue said.
It urged people to stay away from the site while crews continued to tackle hotspots and monitor any fire under the surface.
Oil rich vegetation with deep-seated roots and animal burrows that allowed fire to travel underground and re-emerge unexpectedly had created "significant challenges", the fire service added.
PA MediaChief fire officer Jon Lacey said it had been not only an "unprecedented incident for Suffolk" but also a national event.
Crews from 18 fire and rescue services across the country helped relieve exhausted Suffolk firefighters.
"I know this incident would have been significantly worse were it not for the extraordinary efforts of each and every one of Suffolk's 600 firefighters from our 35 stations, and the support of those crews from across the country - all supported by amazing voluntary organisations continuing to provide food and welfare," Lacey said.
Among the volunteers were The Salvation Army, who served 1,500 meals at the scene.
Local farmers also helped create 3.1m (5km) of firebreaks -metres-wide strips of land cleared of trees and vegetation - that surrounded the site and helped stop the spread.
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