Baggy Point wildfire: where is fire near Croyde, what started it, what have Devon Fire & Rescue said?

A fire has been burning at a North Devon beauty spot since Monday evening (29 August), with the blaze seen from miles away as smoke billowed out across the sea.

The wildfire started at Baggy Point near Croyde and has impacted an estimated 20 acres of land.

Selaine Saxby, the MP for North Devon, shared a picture of the billowing smoke online.

She said: "Very sad to see smoke coming up from the fire at Baggy Point now. Thank you to our brave fire service who are attending.

"Please be careful with cigarettes, bbqs and open fires as scrub is very dry still."

What happened?

A large wildfire which has impacted an estimated 20 acres of gorse land around Baggy Point, near Croyde on the North Devon Coast, is still ongoing.

The fire is believed to have started at approximately 5.30pm on Monday (29 August).

It’s believed the area of land affected is owned by the National Trust.

What have Devon Fire & Rescue said?

Early on Tuesday morning (30 August), a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said: "We haven’t looked at the cause yet, it’s still ongoing. So it started at around 5.30pm yesterday afternoon.

"20 acres of gorse has been affected by the fire and we’ve had two appliances there over night. They’ll be relieved this morning so we’ve been there ever since."

The National Trust, who own and manage the headland, said: "We’re aware there is a fire at Baggy Point.

“The fire brigade are on site dealing with this so we’d ask people to stay away.”

They added: "Thank you for your understanding. We’ll share news when we know more."

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

Where is the fire near Croyde?

Baggy Point is a headland in north Devon with stunning coastal views and walks along the South West Coast Path.

It overlooks Croyde - one of the best surfing beaches in North Devon.

It separates Croyde Bay and Morte Bay which include the beaches of Woolacombe and Putsborough.