Visitors urged to stick with Suffolk after wildfire
Vikki Irwin/BBCHolidaymakers have been urged to visit Suffolk after a precious healthland was devastated by wildfire, with a message that the surrounding area is still open for business.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue said the huge fire at Dunwich Heath, which began on 29 July, continued to be treated as a "major incident".
Roads have been closed off and some businesses have reported a decline in customers as people avoid the area.
Barbara Buckley, chairwoman of trustees at Westleton Village Hall, stressed the area "depends on tourism" and encouraged people to visit while avoiding the affected site.
The fire service said some holidaymakers and residents would be allowed back into one of the caravan sites on Saturday to retrieve belongings, escorted by Suffolk Police.
It added that the Dunwich Classic Car Mini Rally would proceed as planned on Sunday, "following discussions with organisers and partner agencies".
PA Media"There are a lot of places tourists can still go, so I would encourage people to still come to their bookings in holiday houses in the area," Buckley said.
"Obviously, they can't go on the fire site itself, but we do want to say that, this part of Suffolk is still open except for the fire area."
She added that people in the local area were "extremely conscious" of the effect the fire had had.
"A number of people in the village and into the wider areas are still unable to come and go freely from their houses, which is obviously impacting their lives enormously," she added.
More on the Dunwich Heath wildfire:
Martin Giles/BBCJeremy Thickett owns the Emmerdale Farm Shop near Darsham and Westleton, which is just a few miles from the fire.
He said these were "dire circumstances" and it had been a "very, very tense period".
"We're finding that the road that goes past our farm shop is so much quieter than it was," he said, equating custom to a level normally seen in January.
"We've come to realise how much actually our summer trade comes from Cliff House [holiday park], people going backwards and forwards to Minsmere and Dunwich.
"We're probably down about a third."
Thickett had supplied food to Westleton Village Hall, where a relief centre was set up for those displaced by the fire, and said he was pleased to see how many people helped.
"[It was] incredible what they did, it made a big difference," he added.
PA MediaSuffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the active fire area was estimated at 276 acres (112 hectares), but at its height the fire covered 371 acres (150 hectares).
The weather is expected to be hot over the weekend which the service said "may present additional challenges".
By Friday, the National Trust had raised £350,000 to help support Dunwich Heath's recovery, with the reserve and RSPB Minsmere reporting some signs of life in nature.
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