Devastating images reveal Dunwich Heath wildfire aftermath that destroyed 250 acres

Aerial photographs reveal the scale of destruction wrought by a wildfire which consumed more than 250 acres of heathland in Suffolk back in July. Images from the National Trust , released three months following Suffolk's most extensive wildfire in living memory, show the scorched earth and burnt trees left behind after the inferno ripped through the charity's nature reserve at Dunwich Heath and ravaged parts of the adjacent RSPB Minsmere within a matter of hours.

The National Trust said the blaze destroyed more than 104 hectares (256 acres) of heathland, an important habitat for wildlife including rare bird species such as stonechats, skylarks and Dartford warblers. Early monitoring has uncovered substantial damage to soil health, with some patches experiencing an 82% depletion of organic matter – which the charity cautioned could diminish the ground's capacity to retain water, leaving it more susceptible to drought and hampering the speed at which vegetation can regenerate.

The Dunwich Heath fire was amongst several major blazes that broke out during the summer's unprecedented heat and severely parched conditions across large swathes of the UK, with other substantial wildfires occurring in the New Forest, South Wales, Stourbridge in the West Midlands where 19 properties were razed, and Scotland's Cairngorms. The scale of wildfires triggered a nationwide alert transmitted to people's mobile phones in England and Wales, while last month Prime Minister Andy Burnham convened a wildfire summit to strengthen preparedness "for next time".

The blaze at Dunwich Heath – situated close to Sizewell B nuclear power plant – erupted in late July during one of several heatwaves that gripped the country this summer, forcing evacuations and prompting Suffolk Fire and Rescue to declare a major incident as crews fought the flames for days. The National Trust launched a fundraising appeal following the fire, which has comfortably surpassed its £500,000 target and will finance two years of initial restoration work to repair the heath and support its recovery.

Dunwich Heath has remained shut to the public since the fire, which devastated paths and signage and left the landscape hazardous, while dust and air pollution remain issues despite recent rainfall, the trust said. The trust's general manager for Suffolk and Essex Coast Russell Clement said reopening "remains our top priority, and we're working hard to make it safe for visitors to return, including establishing new visitor routes", with measures being implemented alongside East Suffolk Council on matters such as cliff stability.

He said: "Although there is no access to the heath itself, people can now walk along the beach between Dunwich village and Sizewell, as well as access Westleton Heath and large areas of RSPB Minsmere. "We hope to be able to offer limited access to Dunwich Heath, as soon as it's safe to do so, however it will likely take several months before the heath fully reopens." While there are some indications of regrowth across the landscape, charity staff cautioned that bracken and gorse which have begun to reappear are not the species "we want to see dominate in the long term".

Matt Wilson, coast and countryside manager for the National Trust, said: "The heathland at Dunwich is a man-made and carefully managed landscape developed over centuries. "Bracken and gorse grow quickly and outcompete slower-growing plants like heather. "Managing them will become a major part of our work on the heath, so while on the surface this appears like life is returning, it will require a huge effort to ensure these species don't impact the recovery of the heathland."

National Trust teams are additionally working alongside specialist engineers to investigate unexploded ordnance and other hazardous debris left over from the heath's use in military exercises during D-Day preparations. The charity is also assessing the damage caused to trees by the fire, with numerous standing trees potentially left weakened and vulnerable to toppling in winter storms - posing a risk to visitor safety. Mr Wilson said standing deadwood provided habitat for insects, fungi and other species and "retaining suitable trees where it is safe to do so will be an important part of the site's ecological recovery".

Mr Clement said: "We're at the start of a very long process to restore this amazing heathland, a process which has been made possible thanks to the overwhelming support of the public. "We're carefully undertaking surveying, monitoring and research to understand how best to help the landscape recover, as well as developing a longer-term plan to make the area more resilient, which we hope will reduce future wildfire risk. "This is the beginning of a very long journey, but after three challenging months we are looking to the future with hope."