Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve goes from fire to flood in hours

Dry grass in a field at Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve, close to Lowestoft, Suffolk, caught fire at about 15:00 BST on Wednesday

A nature reserve has tackled a fire and a flood in a matter of five hours.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust said at about 15:00 BST on Wednesday it had a "massive field fire" at Carlton Marshes, near Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Then at about 20:00 a sudden downpour and thunderstorm meant the back of its visitor centre became water logged as the ground was so dry.

Matt Gooch, a sites manager for the trust, said: "We could have done with Noah's Ark last night".

The flash flood did not get inside the visitor centre, Matt Gooch said

"My team member was in a tractor working the fields when he noticed a bit of smoke on the edge of the field and rang 999, as it was quite windy it then blazed across the field in a matter of minutes."

He said Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service arrived in about two minutes and "thanks" to its hard work there was minimal damage.

The grassland was left burnt and there was some damage to fences but luckily it was quickly "under control" quickly "and then the rains came," he said.

Mr Gooch added at about 20:00 he experienced "a massive downpour and thunderstorm and literally our visitor centre at Carlton Marshes pretty much just flooded at the back".

Matt Gooch said it was very lucky no major damage was caused

"The doorways were keeping the water back and the water gathered outside," he said.

Fortunately it did not get inside the building, but because the ground was so dry after the heatwave, the ground "wasn't able to absorb" it he added.

The centre opened in 2020 after a £4.1m investment to buy land from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.