Fire crews remain at nature reserve blaze

Fire crews are damping down hotspots at a renowned nature reserve after a blaze damaged gorse and woodland.

At its height, 40 firefighters attended the blaze at Cley Marshes on the north Norfolk coast, near the A149, after the fire service was alerted at 14:25 BST on Wednesday.

Crews from 13 stations across the county were sent to the scene, while relief teams worked through the night to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading.

In a social media update, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said it was "scaling back" the incident, but would "continue to have a presence on scene all day damping down hotspots".

Four crews and a water carrier would remain there, it added.

The service continued that the A149 coast road was open, but advised motorists to drive with care.

The blaze was reported using the online address system What3Words to successfully pinpoint the rural location, with the service saying it "enabled us to get to scene quickly".

The nature reserve is run by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which is celebrating its centenary year.

The trust was founded by Dr Sydney Long after he purchased 435 acres (176 hectares) of marsh at Cley next the Sea to create a breeding bird sanctuary.

More than 100,000 visitors go to the site each year.

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