"Total devastation" is the most likely outcome of the fire on Dunwich Heath, says the National Trust.

Matt Wilson, the charity's countryside manager for Suffolk, tells the BBC: "The impact on this site in particular is looking to be fairly catastrophic, to be perfectly honest.

"The fire is estimated to be 150 hectares [371 acres], but the whole of Dunwich Heath owned by the National Trust is just over 100 hectares [247 acres].

"So we're looking at total devastation across the National Trust site."

Luke Deal
BBC Radio Suffolk

The fire has affected an area the size of 200 football pitches.

Crews from London Fire Brigade are among those who have headed to Suffolk today to help.

Three fire engines from London, one from East Sussex and one from West Yorkshire have just sped through Westleton.

The blaze is "stabilising", Suffolk's deputy chief fire officer Henry Griffin has said this morning.

"It stabilised overnight, that's commensurate with the wind speed and temperatures dropping."

He says the plan now involves monitoring temperatures as the sun rises, as wind speeds typically increase as the temperature does.

"We have a couple of fire fronts we're actively monitoring, checking on their wind speed, checking on that wind direction to make sure any re-ignition is controlled and monitored throughout the coming hours.

"Due to the scale and unpredictable nature of the wind direction I wouldn't say [the fire] is under control, it's certainly stabilised and we have plans in place to mitigate.

"So I'm confident we have the resources on scene and the plan in place to mitigate any risk of this fire."

Image source, Zoie O'Brien/BBC

Luke Deal
BBC Radio Suffolk

Henry Griffin, the deputy chief fire officer for Suffolk's fire service, has confirmed the blaze began at RSPB Minsmere, which backs on to Dunwich Heath.

The fire then spread on to the coastal heathland, where it continued to spread.

I'll bring you more from him shortly.

With the sun now up, active firefighting is beginning again on the coast.

About 100 firefighters are on site alongside support staff, says the fire service. At its peak yesterday there were about 120 firefighters.

We've heard that no fire crews have been injured so far.

Image source, Zoie O'Brien/BBC

Pictures from Thursday evening show the devastation the fire has left in its wake.

The ground is black and scorched, still smouldering in places and with a haze of smoke hanging in the air.

Image source, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

The blaze is still not under control but it is "stabilising", says Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.

Here's what we've heard from the fire service this morning:

• There were no significant flare-ups or new outbreaks overnight and the fire is still the same size
• It says 12 crews were at the scene overnight
• The fire has been split into three sectors, which crews are split across
• For safety reasons no active firefighting could take place overnight, but the firefighters who remained on scene had a "watching brief"

• No more evacuations were needed, but plans are in place in case the wind changes direction again

Image source, PA Media

Firefighters have begun a third day of tackling the blaze on Dunwich Heath on the Suffolk coast.

The fire began at about 17:00 BST on Wednesday and rapidly spread overnight and throughout Thursday, going on to affect an area equal to the size of about 200 football pitches.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says 12 crews remained at the scene overnight into Friday.

Active firefighting began again at first light and will continue for the rest of the day. We'll bring you the latest updates.

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

The area affected by the Suffolk wildfire has grown to the size of around 200 football pitches, according to the local fire service, with firefighting efforts set to continue overnight.

• When it started: Suffolk Fire and Rescue service was called out to reports of a blaze at Dunwich Heath near Leiston at around 17:30 BST yesterday - it declared a major incident shortly after due to its "size and complexity"
• Scale of the blaze: The wildfire has since grown to an area equal to more than 200 football pitches - up from around 14 football pitches this morning - but the nearby nuclear power plant Sizewell B is not at risk. Jon Lacey, the local fire chief, told the BBC earlier that the fire was "unprecedented"
• Emergency response: Around 120 firefighters are currently at the scene with more fire engines also being called in from London, while a helicopter has been dropping sea water on the flames. PM Andy Burnham has pledged "all the support" the fire service needs
• Local reaction: Some holidaymakers who were evacuated from a caravan site have described the incident as "quite scary", but paid tribute to the "heartwarming" kindness of local volunteers
• Looking ahead: Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says the major incident response can be expected to carry on for another 48 hours at least

We are now bringing our live coverage to a close, but you can read more in our story.

Image source, PA Media

Local MP - and former Green party co-leader - Adrian Ramsay has thanked emergency services "for their dedicated work in incredibly difficult conditions battling the wildfire at Dunwich".

Ramsay, who represents the adjoining Waveney Valley, urges locals to follow safety advice to "stay away from the area and keep doors and windows closed".

"This has now been declared a major incident and I hope the fire can be tackled while keeping firefighters and the public safe,” he says.

Image source, Reuters

Rob Tucker is a retired accountant who owns a holiday home in the evacuated area, but is uncertain if it has been affected by the fire.

“Our house is a holiday home and we heard about the fire this morning, about 60 miles away," he tells the Reuters news agency.

"So we got in the car and thought we'd better come up here to make sure the house is all right because the fire brigade said the fire was dynamic, so we didn't know which way it was going.

"So we came up to see if our house was intact and we couldn't get there, but we think it is intact.”

Image source, Wildlife Wise

Wildlife Wise, external, a partnership project dedicated to protecting the Suffolk coast's wildlife and habitats, is urging the public to act responsibly to help prevent further wildfires, as Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service continues to respond to the Dunwich Heath fire.

Its Wildfire Free Suffolk campaign was launched with the fire service earlier this summer to raise awareness of how fires start in the open and how they can be prevented. It urges the public to:

• Avoid lighting barbecues and campfires near vegetation such as grass, heath land or wood land and only use them in designated safe areas
• Douse disposable barbecues with water, to cool completely, then dispose of them in household (black) bins - never in public bins
• Ensure cigarettes and smoking materials are fully extinguished and disposed of responsibly - including vapes which should be taken to dedicated recycling points

Image source, SFRS

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Angela Rayner has paid tribute to the "brave firefighters" tackling the wildfire in Suffolk.

In a video posted on X, external, the housing secretary says the firefighters' "skill and dedication and bravery is outstanding".

“My thoughts are also with the residents that have had to leave their homes. I know it’s incredibly difficult circumstances."

She adds that the prime minister will ensure that the “fire and rescue services, mutual aid and local services will have all the resources they need.”

Image source, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service

Firefighters are making "good progress" in tackling the wildfire, a senior official in Suffolk says.

Freddie Gulliver, who is part of the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit, says fire engines from London have been called in to help extinguish the blaze.

But he reiterates that "anything can still happen until the fire is out completely”.

There are around 120 firefighters currently tackling the fire and crews are expected to stay at the site for the next 24 to 36 hours, Gulliver adds.

Asked about concerns the fire could spread to the nearby Sizewell nuclear power plants, Gulliver says it is "not a concern".

A helicopter has been picking up sea water and dropping it on the blaze, with firefighting efforts continuing into the evening.

More than 100 firefighters have been involved in tackling the blaze, which began yesterday evening.

James Kelly
BBC Your Voice

Claire, from Essex, was camping nearby with her husband and four children when they were told they had to evacuate immediately as smoke was starting to blow over the area.

"Within minutes, what had been a busy family campsite turned into families frantically throwing whatever essentials they could into their cars," she says.

"We had no choice but to abandon our tent and almost all of our camping equipment and leave, not knowing whether the fire would reach the campsite or if we’d ever see our belongings again."

Claire describes how the hardest part was staying calm for her children, who were "exhausted and frightened".

They're now staying with a local couple in Westleton, who opened up their home: "After such an uncertain 24 hours, that generosity has meant the world to us."

Footage from drone cameraman Ryan Lovejoy, the BBC and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service shows us how the flames took hold yesterday - leaving devastation behind today.

As a reminder, here's how quickly the fire has unfolded over 24 hours:

• Wednesday 17:30 BST: The fire service is called to reports of a heathland blaze, which is declared a major incident later that evening
• Thursday 08:55: We report that the fire is burning across 10 hectares (24.7 acres) - roughly the size of 14 football pitches
• Thursday 12:00: Suffolk County Council says about 100 hectares (247 acres) is burning, which is a 10-fold increase in just a few hours
• Thursday 17:30: The fire has grown by another 50% to 150 hectares (371 acres); that's approximately 210 football pitches.

Suffolk has only received 2% of its average monthly rainfall for July so far, according to the Met Office.

Other counties have recorded similar figures as low as 1% and 0% for the month.

The rainfall in Suffolk for this summer (measured from the start of June until the end of August) is currently 36% of what it usually gets.

"Some showers, possibly heavy are possible this evening and into the early hours of Friday," a Met Office spokesperson added.

"Further showers are likely next week, possibly thundery."

The area affected by the wildfire has grown to 150 hectares (371 acres), the equivalent of approximately 210 football pitches.

Earlier, we told you it was affecting about 100 hectares.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service says the major incident response can be expected to carry on for another 48 hours at least.

“Changing wind conditions continue to affect the direction and behaviour of the fire, making it difficult to predict how it may spread,” the fire service says.

It adds that it has requested additional national support, "including wildfire specialist appliances, officers, and tactical advisers".