Firefighters tackling a significant blaze at Holme Fen nature reserve in Cambridgeshire are expected to remain on site until the middle of September. Crews have been working for 14 days at the site, near Peterborough, where approximately half of the reserve has been affected.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service stated that firefighters from across the country have been operating in challenging conditions. Assistant chief officer Stuart Smith confirmed the fire has been contained, with crews now collaborating with forestry specialists to clear fallen trees and access hot spots in the underlying peat soil.
Smith noted that peat fires are difficult to extinguish as they can spread underground without visible flames or significant smoke. Crews are utilising temperature probes and digging trenches to determine the extent of the underground spread, which in some areas could be five to six metres deep.