A grass fire has damaged all of the special wildlife habitats protected by law on heathland in east London during London’s biggest ever grassfire.

The blaze started at the 430-acre Wanstead Flats on Sunday and nearby residents were evacuated from their homes.

It is the biggest grassfire ever tackled by London firefighters. More than 100 hectares, the size of 100 football pitches, were alight at the height of the blaze, according to London Fire Brigade.

All of the 40 acres of land protected by law as sites of scientific special interest have been affected, according to the City of London Corporation which manages the entire area, which is on the edge of Epping Forest.

However, the Corporation praised the “prompt response” of fire crews which meant the nesting sites of skylarks were “largely unaffected”.

Wanstead Flats is home to nesting skylarks

According to bird charity the RSPB, the ground-breeding birds are found throughout the UK, with an estimated 1.5 million pairs. They breed from April until August annually.

The Corporation said: “A considerable area of the Flats has been affected. As a heathland site of special scientific interest, the vegetation is very resilient and we expect the habitat to begin recovering with the damper autumn weather.”

Underground fires were continuing to burn up peat at Wanstead Flats on Tuesday (July 17). Some 70 firefighters were still there to continue damping down the grass fire. A fire brigade spokesman said they were working in “arduous conditions”.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “Wanstead Flats is a large area with lots of dry grass and peat.

“Peat fires are complex because they burn underground and travel before reappearing above the surface somewhere different.

“Some parts of the incident are tricky to reach which means that it’s more effective to use water backpacks and fire beaters and that requires a large number of ‘boots on the ground’.”

The scene as firefighters tackled a fire at Wanstead Flats on Sunday, July 15
The scene as firefighters tackled a fire at Wanstead Flats on Sunday, July 15

Barbecues are banned throughout Epping Forest. A fire brigade spokesman said grass fires can be caused by a stray cigarette or piece of glass during very dry spells of weather.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Experts from the Corporation will be assessing the damage later this week to map the extent of the damage and plan what to do next.

A spokesman said: “We would like to thank both the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police for their support in dealing with this terrible blaze.

“At present, we do not know the cause of the fire and we are working with the authorities to investigate.”

It advised people to follow fire brigade advice and stay away whilst crews carry on their work damping down the heathland and making the area safe.

According to the Corporation, the Flats have been largely treeless since the 12th century when they were used by the Bishops of Stratford to graze their sheep.

They were used as a camp for troops and prisoners of war during the Second World War.

Today the land is home to the sites of scientific special interest and 60 football pitches.