Suffolk fire - Another giant blaze erupts in grassland inferno after crews tackle wildfires across London and Surrey
A MASSIVE wildfire erupted in Suffolk on Sunday night just hours after fire crews tackled a series of enormous blazes across London and Surrey.
Knodishall Common in the east of the coastal county was engulfed by flames on Sunday evening - sending black smoke billowing across the area.
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Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were dousing the wildfire with 12 pumps after being alerted at 7.57pm.
They warned locals to avoid the area and keep their windows and doors closed as the wind sent black smoke blowing towards Leiston.
Terrifying photos showed the inferno decimating the grassland as residents watched on in horror.
One local wrote in a tweet: "Oh crikey, Knodishall Common has gone up in flames, people being evacuated. My first home in Suffolk.
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"Mind you those pylons there used to spark."
Firefighters have faced an "incredibly demanding week" after wildfires engulfed the south of the country.
Crews battled several huge blazes in and around London on Sunday, with one blaze declared a "major incident" as it sent smoke billowing across to Heathrow Airport.
The London Fire Brigade confirmed it was fighting wildfires in Enfield, Hayes and Thamesmead while Surrey Fire and Rescue declared a "major incident" in Hankley Common.
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The Surrey blaze - at a beauty spot that featured in the Bond film Skyfall - caused a giant plume of smoke to cover Heathrow Airport 25 miles away.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said several fire engines were deployed as they advised people to stay "far away from the fire as it can travel quickly".
So far, 24 people have been evacuated, as have 23 horses, two dogs and one cat, BBC Radio Surrey reported.
In a tweet, a Thorpe Park visitor said the theme park was "covered" in smoke, while another posted he "could barely breathe".
In response, Thorpe Park said the land surrounding Thorpe Park "has been checked and will continue to be monitored".
The fire service said it was called just after midday on Sunday and that it expects crews to remain at the scene until at least Monday.
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On Sunday evening firefighters declared the major incident over - but asked the public to avoid the area as "there is still a wildfire".
The fire service urged locals to keep doors and windows closed amid a "great deal of smoke".
While it said the reason for the blaze has not been established, the fire service urged people to "please help keep our outdoors safe: pack a picnic instead of a disposable bbq & dispose of cigarettes correctly".
Heathrow Airport have said the smoke is not affecting any airport functions at the moment.
The capital is also experiencing several blazes in north, west and south-east London.
'SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS'
"London Fire Brigade is dealing with a number of weather related fires across the capital", the fire and rescue service said on Twitter.
"We're tackling significant incidents in Enfield, Hayes and Thamesmead".
It added: "Between midnight and 1700 we've attended more incidents than we would in a normal 24 hour period."
The fire service confirmed the grass fire in Enfield, north London, which was over an area of 20 hectares, "is under control".
About the blaze in Hayes, West London, the fire service said: "We've got six fire engines and around 40 firefighters dealing with a grass fire in Cranford Park in Hayes.
"The smoke can be seen from miles around. Please close doors and windows if you're nearby."
The firefighters reported they have made "steady progress [...] at the Cranford Park in Hayes".
The inferno had spread to over five hectares and is causing "heavy smoke" across West London.
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Members of the public have told The Sun they had "seen smoke in the wind" in Wembley, West London, and in North London in Finchley, as well as Hendon in Barnet in North West London.
Twitter users, meanwhile, said they were able to smell the smoke as far as Ware, Hertfordshire and Harlow, Essex.
Another large fire has also been reported in Thamesmead in South East London.
The fire service confirmed it was fighting a grass fire on Defence Close, where it has eight fire engines, a fire boat and approximately 65 firefighters.
In light of the infernos, London Fire Brigade has asked for the public's co-operation.
"Please help us prevent further fires by cancelling all planned BBQs, removing rubbish especially glass from grassland & disposing cigarettes correctly," it said on Twitter.
"Our firefighters & control officers are doing a fantastic job in challenging conditions. Your co-operation will help us greatly."
Temperatures across the south-east of England reached 29C on Sunday, according to the Met Office.
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The UK has been experiencing a heatwave with a high of 40.3C, in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday - the highest temperature since records began.
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