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Cambridgeshire Fire & Resue Service

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Fire in the open - Holme - Huntingdonshire

08/08/2026 10.24AM

At 10.24am on Saturday (8) crews were called to a fire in the open on Holme Fen in Holme.

Firefighters from Dogsthorpe, Stanground, the north roaming fire engine, Whittlesey, Huntingdon, Thorney, St Neots, Ramsey and Sawston, along with the water carrier from Ramsey, a specialist 4x4 vehicle from Thorney, and a crew from Oundle in Northamptonshire attended the incident.

Firefighters arrived to find a fire involving hedges and undergrowth, and it was well alight. They have been working extremely hard in sectors to get the fire under control and stop it from spreading. They have been using equipment such as beaters to control and extinguish the fire.

The fire is now surrounded, good progress has been made, and crews are continuing to work to extinguish it. The fire is deep seated in peat so will take some time to fully extinguish. 

Please continue to stay away from the area whilst the incident is ongoing and thank you for your patience whilst crews work to bring this incident to a conclusion.

Update - 8:20pm

The incident has been scaled back. Firefighters are working on checking for hotspots and dampening down the area to prevent further spread. A crew will remain at the scene to ensure the area is safe.

Update 9/8/26 8am

A crew remained at the scene overnight to ensure the area is safe. Firefighters will be on scene today Sunday (9) checking for hotspots. The fire is deep seated in peat so will take some time to fully extinguish. 

Update 9/8/26 10:30am

Crews are back at the scene of a fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve in Holme today. If you are seeing or smelling smoke in and around the area please be advised that this is more than likely coming from Holme Fen but rest assured our firefighters are there and are working hard to extinguish the fire.
 
They are checking for hotspots, turning them over and dampening down the area to make it safe. The fire is deep seated in peat so will take some time to fully extinguish. If you see fire crews in the area over the coming days, this will be why.
 
We are asking the public to continue avoiding the area where they can. Crews are working incredibly hard to bring the fire under control and minimise disruption to bring this incident to a conclusion.
 
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
 
Update 9/8/26 6pm
 
Crews have remained on scene throughout the day in arduous conditions tackling a large fire. They have been using jets to extinguish hotspots and have been working in sectors.
 
Due to the current weather conditions, you may still be seeing or smelling smoke in and around the area, but please be advised that this is more than likely still coming from Holme Fen. 
 
Please do continue to avoid the area so crews can work to bring this fire under control and to a conclusion. We thank you again for your patience.
 
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
 
Update 9/8/26 7pm
 
Crews are still responding to a fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve in Holme. More than 80 firefighters are at the scene, including from neighbouring fire and rescue services, and other specialist vehicles are in attendance.
 
Crews have remained on scene throughout the day in arduous conditions tackling a large fire there, that started yesterday morning around 10.30am.
 
They are continuing to work hard to contain the fire and stop it from spreading further, and have been working in sectors.
Due to the current weather conditions, you may still be seeing or smelling smoke in and around the area, but please be advised that this is more than likely still coming from Holme Fen.
 
Please avoid the area as we deal with this incident.
 
Update 9/8/26 8:30pm
 
Firefighters are continuing to work hard to extinguish the fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve.
 
Please be aware that there are now several road closures in place.
- The junction of Hod Fen Drove and Holme Lode
- All of Holme Lode
- The junction of Long Drove/B660 and New Long Drove.
 
Please avoid all routes in the area when possible, and please do not enter the area of the Nature Reserve at any time, for your own safety.
 
Update 9/8/26 9pm
 
Thank you to all the farmers and members of the public who have offered water to help us with the ongoing incident at Holme Fen.
 
As it stands, we have enough water and bowsers for our firefighters to continue tackling this incident, and do not require further water at this time.
 
Thank you again for your continued help whilst firefighters work to tackle this fire.
 
Update 9/8/26 10pm
 
Firefighters are continuing to work in sectors to extinguish the fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve.
 
They will remain on scene overnight tackling the fire and ensuring the area is safe.
 
Please do continue to stay away from the area so crews can carry out their work as safely as possible.
 
Thank you for your continued patience.
 
Update 10/08/26 7:30am
  
Crews remained on scene overnight working incredibly hard to tackle the large fire in sectors.
 
They will continue to work on extinguishing the fire today Monday (10). 
 
Please do continue to stay away from the area so crews can carry out their work as safely as possible.
 
Update 10/08/26 11am
 
Firefighters are continuing to tackle the large fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve today (Monday August 10). Crews remained on scene overnight working incredibly hard.
 
We are still asking you to please, please avoid the area. It is very busy with emergency vehicles and it also for your own safety due to the hazards in the area.
 
If you can smell smoke, please close your windows and doors.

Update 10/08/26 2.30pm
Crews continue to tackle the fire across an expansive area. The hot conditions and other hazards are making this a very challenging incident. However crews from across the county, as well as other services from neighbouring counties and further afield, are working extremely hard to contain the fire and extinguish it. However, this is a long process.
We are still urging people to please avoid the area. It is very busy with emergency vehicles and it also for your own safety due to the hazards in the area.
 
If you can smell smoke, please close your windows and doors.

Update 10/08/26 5pm

Area Commander Wayne Swales said: “Our crews continue to work really hard at the scene of this fire. It has been a significantly challenging incident and our firefighters have done a fantastic job today and over the weekend to try and bring it under control. We’ve also received fantastic support from services around the country. This is despite there being several other incidents ongoing, including a large fire at a recycling centre in Northamptonshire. At any one time there has been in excess of 80 firefighters and officers at the scene battling the conditions and the numerous hazards.

“We are working with other service and our multi-agency partners to plan for the coming week, as we anticipate we’ll need to maintain a large presence at the incident for most of the week. There will be smoke visible from considerable distances, however this is from the firefighting tactics we are having to deploy. This should not be confused with the thicker black smoke and smell that is coming from the incident in Northamptonshire. Those that think they might be impacted should keep their doors and windows closed as a precaution. We also urge people to continue to stay away from the area.

“I can reassure residents that we will be working hard to maintain our availability to respond to emergencies while this incident is ongoing. Although many of our fire engines will be at Holme Fen over the coming days, we will have others available to respond. In some cases we will have to prioritise depending on the nature of the emergency.

“Finally I just want to thank everyone for your patience and support so far. We’ve been inundated with lovely messages from people, which has been really appreciated. We hope to be able to bring this to a conclusion as soon as we can, but in the meantime we are grateful for all the support.”

A further update will be shared on Tuesday.

 Update 11/08/26 9am

Firefighters have been at the scene overnight continuing to tackle the fire. Crews will remain on the scene throughout the day, and for days to come.

Update 11/08/26 5pm
Watch an update from Area Commander Wayne Swales from the scene of the fire at Holme Fen.

Update 12/08/26 10am

Firefighters have been at the scene overnight continuing to tackle the fire. Crews will remain on the scene throughout the day, and for days to come.

Update 13/8/26

Area Commander Simon Thompson gives the latest information about the ongoing incident in the video below:

Update - 14/8/26

An update from Chief Fire Officer Matthew Warren was published in the News section.

The next update will be issued on Monday, unless there are any significant changes.

Update - 17/8/2026

Area Commander Wayne Swales said: "Crews have continued battling the conditions at Holme Fen to try and make progress with extinguishing the fire. Although temperatures have reduced from during the week, it has still been hot on the fireground, but crews have stood up to the challenge exceptionally

"Thanks to the fantastic teamwork from all crews across the county and the incredible support from our National Resilience colleagues from all over the country, we look to be a better position. Steady progress has been made and we are discussing our tactics regularly to try and hopefully start to scale back our firefighting. We will know more over the next day or so.

"We have been really overwhelmed by the numerous donations we have received, either at the scene of Holme Fen or at our stations around the county. The kindness and generosity of our communities is truly phenomenal and we really, really appreciate everything being done to support our crews.

"We have also been really well supported by other partners with resources, in particular colleagues at Natural England. We're so grateful for everything you have been doing to help at this incident."

Following the Governments emergency alert of an increased risk of wildfires on Friday evening (14 August), we want to remind residents to follow the advice.

You can help us to reduce the risk of a grass or wildfire, by:

  • Disposing of cigarettes safely and never dropping them on the ground
  • Taking litter home with you, as glass and metal can reflect sunlight and increase the risk of fire
  • Not having barbecues and lighting bonfires
  • Not lighting fireworks.

It’s really important that everyone takes the warning seriously, but we also need your help to keep our 999 control room lines available for emergencies. Please call 999 if you see a fire that is spreading or out of control or there is an immediate risk to life or property.

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