Farmer calls for compensation over Dunwich fire help

A farmer who helped firefighters tackle a heathland wildfire has criticised the National Trust for not sharing part of the £600,000 it has since received in donations.

Parts of Dunwich Heath and RSPB Minsmere on the Suffolk coast went up in flames on 29 July, with the blaze destroying an area the size of 210 football pitches.

Spencer Campbell, 21, who spent two days helping fight the blaze, accused the National Trust, which runs Dunwich Heath, of "profiteering" and said farmers like him should be compensated.

A spokesperson for the trust said it was "immensely grateful for the heroic efforts of local farmers" but any suggestion that it sought to profit from the incident was "unfair and untrue".

At the height of the inferno, as many as 120 firefighters were stationed at the scene, with some crews having been deployed from stations across the country.

Farmers like Campbell also played a vital role, transporting water to the inferno and assisting in establishing firebreaks to stop the blaze from spreading further.

Campbell, from Stowmarket, said: "The firefighters couldn't have done it without us, and we feel very appreciated by them, but the National Trust has raised all this money but are not paying us.

"We did long days, carted two million litres of water into Dunwich and there were times when we were fighting for our lives – and I'm asthmatic.

"So, we think we should at least have our expenses paid or our diesel paid, but we've had nothing, not even a personal thank you."

Campbell said he spent about a total of 24 hours helping at the site over two days, having to embark on a two-hour round-trip to and from the fire each day.

"If I had a house fire, and I had loads of my neighbours coming out helping me, as soon as the fire was out, the first thing I'd be doing would be personally visiting them and shaking their hands and thanking them for helping me save my house," he added.

Campbell said that if each farmer had charged for the cost of their diesel, equipment, cleaning and the time they contributed, they would be entitled to about £1,300 a day.

"They were long days and we did all that work for free, so I lost quite a bit of money really, and I'm not expecting to get that back, I don't want that back," he said.

"We weren't told to go to Dunwich but considering that they are fundraising and they have got all this money, I do feel we ought to have something and be compensated."

Experts said the true extent of the damage could take months to assess, but it could be as long as 25 years until wildlife and habitats at the cherished site fully recover.

The National Trust had said the money raised from the donations would "support two years of recovery work".

Campbell said: "I think they are profiteering off of a bad situation."

The National Trust denied this was the case, and said a lot of work was required due to the site being "almost entirely destroyed".

"The suggestion that the National Trust has sought to profit from this incident is unfair and untrue," a spokesperson said.

"We are a charity and all donations will be used to support nature recovery. Our initial fundraising target was £500,000, which will help fund around two years of recovery work at Dunwich Heath, including restoring habitats, supporting wildlife and improving resilience to future wildfires.

"If donations exceed this target, additional funds will be directed through the National Trust's Nature Fund to support nature recovery in other places where support is needed most."

With regards to the support of the volunteers, they added: "We have sought to thank those who assisted, both in person where possible and through our public communications, and we are considering how we can further recognise the contribution made by the local community."

Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.