WWII explosives among hidden dangers keeping Dunwich Heath closed after wildfire
The National Trust says more hidden dangers could be found as specialists continue assessing the site almost two weeks after the blaze.
The National Trust is urging people to stay away from Dunwich Heath after the devastating wildfire exposed two live Second World War mortar rounds and left the nature reserve too dangerous to reopen.
Two weeks after the blaze destroyed more than 100 hectares of nationally important heathland, the reserve and the beach below remain closed.
This includes the King Charles III Coast Path and Public Rights of Way across the site, following a decision by Suffolk County Council and Natural England.
It's as specialists assess a site the conservation charity says has become "extremely dangerous". The National Trust says staff and volunteers are still coming to terms with the scale of the damage, and while significant progress has been made by the fire service on dampening down hotspots, there are parts of the fire ground that the National Trust have not yet been able to access, map and record hazards.
Work is now underway to assess the full site, record the impact, identify ongoing risks and begin planning for the site’s long-term recovery, which is likely to take some weeks.
"Dunwich Heath itself continues to be an extremely dangerous place"
Speaking to us, Russell Clement, General Manager for the National Trust's Suffolk and Essex Coast, said two live mortar rounds dating back to the Second World War had already been discovered and underwent controlled demolition by the Fire and Rescue Service, the police and the bomb squad.
"We don't know if more of that kind of stuff has been exposed because... we haven't been able yet to scan and survey the whole site."
The National Trust says the fire has exposed a range of hidden hazards across the reserve, including unstable trees, underground hotspots, ash and debris, damaged cliff edges and wartime features such as trenches and anti-tank defences. Familiar paths and landmarks have also disappeared, making parts of the landscape difficult to navigate safely, even for those who know the area well. New firebreaks and tracks created by machinery to tackle the fire have also created uneven ground.
Coastal winds are also stirring up ash and debris, reducing visibility and creating challenging conditions across the site.
The fire has also left a number of less visible risks. Some trees remain standing but have suffered severe damage below ground, where root systems have been burnt away, leaving them vulnerable to collapse.
Mr Clement warned that, despite the major incident ending, the site remains unsafe.
"Although the major incident has stood down, Dunwich Heath itself continues to be an extremely dangerous place," he said.
"One of the hazards that might not be apparent to most people is that there are extreme levels of very fine particulate dust... We're having to be really cautious with our staff, and that's why we're asking people to stay away."
Urging the public to stay away
The National Trust is urging visitors to stay away from Dunwich Heath, until a full impact and safety assessment can be carried out.
The warning comes after someone entered the closed reserve and became disorientated.
Mr Clement said the woman had to be located by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service after the fire dramatically altered the landscape.
"The landscape has changed so much that even to people who are very familiar with the site, myself included, parts of it are completely unrecognisable," he said.
"The Fire and Rescue Service last week did meet a woman who had become lost and disoriented in the middle of the fire zone... She was quite distressed. They found her and managed to remove her."
The National Trust says little of the reserve escaped the fire, with important heathland habitat and nesting sites destroyed and surviving wildlife left with limited food and shelter.
Mr Clement described the devastation as "heartbreaking".
"It's hard to overstate the amount of destruction on that site," he said.
"It's unrecognisable. The wildlife that lived there, the flora and fauna that lived there... it holds incredibly rare species... so much of that's gone. So it's absolutely heartbreaking."
The charity says work is now underway to assess the full extent of the damage, identify ongoing risks and begin planning the site's long-term recovery. Until then, Dunwich Heath, the beach below, the King Charles III Coast Path and public rights of way across the reserve will remain closed. Visitors are instead being encouraged to support businesses in nearby Dunwich village while recovery continues. The National Trust's appeal to help restore the heath has so far raised more than £600,000.