It is day three of the huge fire at Dunwich Heath on the Suffolk coast.

Here is what we know so far:

• The fire began late on Wednesday afternoon and about 100 firefighters remain on site, alongside support staff
• Writer and editor Charlotte Du Cann believes she was the first to alert the services, after spotting the blaze in Minsmere Wood
• The blaze has affected an area the size of 200 football pitches
• Officials say the situation is not completely under control and it remains a major incident
• People displaced from their homes and holiday homes may be allowed to collect belongings later
• Wildlife habitats devastated by the "utterly sickening" fire could take up to 25 years to recover, says the RSPB
• Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says it has been "overwhelmed by the support" received from other fire services and local people

Zoie O'Brien
in Westleton

We've been told we are still in major incident territory here.

It is about 44 hours from when that fire first began, but there are still pockets burning.

While a lot of people who are visitors to the area are looking at getting away, many people who live here are looking at the devastation that's been caused.

We're being told this will affect wildlife for years to come.

Image source, Zoie O'Brien/BBC

Connor Dowsett, 23, from Essex, was told to leave Cliff House Holiday Park in Dunwich on Wednesday and says the fire felt like the “end of the world”.

"We noticed the moon… it was very orange," he explains. "As we were getting closer, we could see the glow of the fire.

"We could see the brown smoke filling the air. The smell was powerful. It was like 'wow'.

“It was like something out of an apocalypse film, like the end of the world.

“It was a scary, scary sight."

Dowsett, who visits the holiday park three or four times a year, says he has been staying at a couple’s home in Westleton since he was evacuated and says the support has been great.

His dog, a shih-poo called Doug, was also rescued from their lodge by a police officer as they did not want to leave him there.

Dowsett says he will "absolutely" finish his holiday if the emergency services say it is safe for him to stay there.

Zoie O'Brien
in Westleton

It's getting very busy at the village hall here in Westleton. We're about half a mile away from the scene of the fire.

An important meeting is about to take place.

We're expecting holidaymakers, people who have been temporarily displaced from their caravans and rented cottages, to be told there will be a window of opportunity where one family member from each group can be escorted by emergency services to go up and retrieve their belongings so they can get on their way.

They've got vehicles up there and motorhomes as well, and many have said - as grateful as they are to the generosity to local people - they now want to get back to some form of normality.

The fire service has said it is important nobody approaches their holiday homes by themselves, they must be escorted.

Image source, Luke Deal/BBC

Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell Carpenter recently took on a new role as a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

She tells BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin she is " devastated" by the Dunwich fire.

She continues to say that she will be ensuring that "we do as much as we can to support that nature recovery on site".

"It's not just nice to have; places like RSPB Minsmere are absolutely critical for biodiversity across the country and actually it has a huge impact across the globe as well," she adds.

"These sites are hugely important and can't be understated for the role they play in our biodiversity and the safety of our country."

Navtej Johal
in Westleton

Image source, Navtej Johal/BBC

Teenager Archie , who we spoke with yesterday, has been called a “hero” by many today after he helped to rescue a mother and her two babies from a caravan park on Dunwich Heath.

The 16-year-old was asked to help with the evacuation by the park’s warden and a firefighter.

He was on holiday with his grandparents at their static caravan when the fire broke out and he knocked on doors to get people up and out of their caravans in the night.

Grandad Martin Harris, 80, says “he did good”.

Archie adds: “I wouldn’t say I’m a hero… I just did what was necessary.”

Russell Clement from the local National Trust team has described Dunwich Heath as "one of the UK's most important coastal heathland landscapes". 

In a statement, he says everyone at the trust is "heartbroken".

“Although it’s still too early to say what the true impact has been, to both RSPB Minsmere where the fire started, and Dunwich Heath, it’s becoming clear that the fire has torn through the entire National Trust reserve - and the landscape that we know and love is now unrecognisable.

"We believe that very little heathland vegetation is left and many wildlife species will have been impacted, now and long into the future."

Zoie O'Brien
in Westleton

I've been talking to Charlotte Du Cann who says she was the first to alert services to the fire.

The writer and editor, 70, who lives locally, was walking back across Minsmere Woods from the beach where she had been swimming with a friend, and heard a crackle and then saw a circle of fire.

She says it was about 20ft (6m) across and a few minutes' walk from the main path.

They thought it was "stampable" and tried to put it out but she says it took hold in the heather very quickly.

She ran across the heath and told National Trust workers and emergency services arrived soon after, she explains.

Image source, Zoie O'Brien/BBC

The National Trust says it organised the deployment of the fire-fighting helicopter.

On Thursday morning, a spokesperson says it approached a "reputable company with vast experience" to help tackle the blaze.

The trust says: "This additional resource was hugely significant in supporting the efforts of the fire service, National Trust, RSPB, local farmers and others on the ground in efforts to contain the blaze as quickly as possible."

The National Trust has previously organised air support during fires in the Peak District and on the Isle of Wight at Headon Warren last week.

Image source, PA Media

Navtej Johal
in Westleton

Jane Thomson is a farmer near Dunwich Heath who owns 50 sheep and five horses.

She says she’s been “sick with worry” that they could be affected by the fire.

Thompson came to Westleton Village Hall to get more information from the authorities.

She’s lived in the area for 30 years and says this is the worst fire she’s ever seen on the heath.

Image source, Navtej Johal/BBC

Plans for firefighters from Suffolk to take part in a continuous 24-hour ladder climb to mark 25 years since 9/11 have been cancelled.

A spokesperson for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says many of the officers who were signed up have been both directly and indirectly involved in the wildfires.

"Those who have already been deployed also require appropriate rest and recovery following their involvement," they add.

It was due to take part in the Buttermarket shopping centre in Ipswich from noon today until noon tomorrow to raise funds for the fire service and other blue light charities.

Image source, Liam Winters

Over the border in Essex, about 50 firefighters have been tackling a large blaze on Ministry of Defence land in Colchester.

The Middlewick Ranges in Mersea Road is also a popular area used by local walkers and bird watchers.

At 11:45 BST, the fire service said it had the flames surrounded.

Image source, Simon Dedman/BBC

Image source, Reuters

Photos taken earlier today show just how close the wildfire at Dunwich came to some of the nearby buildings.

The Coastguard Cottages fortunately came to no harm despite the fire raging just outside the property, while Cliff House Holiday Park similarly was extremely close to the blaze.

There have been no injuries reported, according to the fire service.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Elizabeth Rizzini
Lead weather presenter

Some parts of Suffolk away from the wildfires saw some showers last night as a front moved eastwards across East Anglia.

There is very little rain in the forecast again as we head through the next week for the county.

The weekend looks dry with a ridge of high pressure keeping the settled conditions in place. It will feel gradually warmer – 25C today, 27C by Sunday, perhaps higher still by Monday.

There is the chance that on Monday night into Tuesday there could be some showers across the fire-affected area although at the moment even that is uncertain. After that it’s likely that high pressure will build back in from the west meaning another dry middle and end of the week.

Separately, Griffin has praised his firefighters as "exceptional".

"They've worked tirelessly in very hot conditions. Their PPE is hot, it's hard work, it's difficult to access."

He says much of the area is inaccessible by vehicle, so they are on foot carrying water on their backs to douse the flames and dampen hotspots.

The national assets being brought in from across England are allowing Suffolk's firefighters to rest.

Henry Griffin, Suffolk's deputy fire chief, has told the BBC: "We will be here for as long as it takes."

There is no definite estimate for when the fire service will be able to scale back this massive response, with crews saying they expected to be on site for at least the next 48 hours.

But Griffin is hopeful that the "significant" part of the fire will be dealt with in the next 24 hours, but "there's potential for us to be here a long time".

Image source, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service

Craig Hoyle
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

We learned last night that seawater has been used to fight the Dunwich wildfire - this isn't common, due to the potential impact of salt on soil and vegetation.

I asked the National Trust why it's been used in this case, and a spokesperson told me it's because seawater is "the nearest and most plentiful water source we can access at the scale required".

"There may be some short‑term effects on the vegetation, but heathland plants can tolerate a degree of salt and in time will recover," they say.

The damage from letting the fire burn uncontrolled would be far worse, "so using seawater is the right decision to protect the wider habitat and the species that live there as well as the nearby homes and holiday accommodation".

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us as we approach midday, firefighters this morning have continued to tackle a blaze at Dunwich Heath which, at the latest estimate, covers an area of 150 hectares (371 acres).

Still considered to be a major incident, officials this morning say it remains a "fluid situation" which is not yet totally under control - although it has been "stabilising".

The fire has affected an area the size of 200 football pitches, including parts of the Minsmere nature reserve, with RSPB's area manager warning that it will take years to restore the vegetation and species levels.

The blaze began at the nature reserve before spreading to the coastal heathland, overseen by the National Trust.

The nature of the terrain is making access for fire crews "tricky" and they have used bulldozers to make tracks as well as create firebreaks.

Concerns had been raised about the fire's proximity to one operational and one under-construction nuclear power station - however, it appears that a wetland area has provided a natural firebreak, with the fire service remaining in contact with the plant.

Dozens of firefighters continue to fight the blaze, but Suffolk's deputy chief fire officer had said he's "confident" they have the resources to mitigate the risk.

Image source, Brandon Fire Station/Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service

In a new update from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, it says the incident "remains changeable" but crews are making "good progress in very hot conditions".

"Firefighters are continuing to tackle the fire from both the ground and the air, and the situation is currently stable," it says.

"A major incident remains in place and we continue to ask you to stay away from the area.

"Between 12 and 15 fire engines, along with support vehicles, are at the scene this morning.

"Favourable weather conditions have helped crews make good progress against the fire."

It adds that its response will continue through the weekend and possibly into next week.

If good progress continues, it will gradually reduce the number of resources at the scene.

Roads and footpaths in the area remain closed, and the service says it will only let evacuated residents return to homes "when it is safe to do so".

"At this stage, there are no plans for any further evacuations," it adds.

"We are in regular contact with Sizewell B, and there continues to be no cause for concern."