Firefighters tackle huge wildfire near Eastbourne overnight

Firefighters from Hailsham and Eastbourne successfully extinguished a large wildfire overnight in Stone Cross, located just north of Eastbourne.

The emergency response began late Tuesday night on July 14, 2026, when teams were dispatched to battle a substantial grass fire that broke out in a field. 

Incident Overview

• Location: A field on Hailsham Road in Stone Cross, East Sussex.
• Time: Emergency services responded at 23:19 BST on Tuesday night.
• Duration: Crews battled the flames for approximately two hours, declaring the scene clear in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
• Scale: Roughly 50 meters of grass was found to be "well alight" upon arrival. 

Operational Details

The East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) deployed crews who utilized a hose reel jet and fire beaters to bring the fire under control. Dramatic drone footage captured during the operation showed firefighters aggressively tackling the blaze as it swept across the open land. No casualties or injuries were reported from the scene. 

Safety Advice Issue

During the height of the incident, the fire service issued the following precautionary measures for the public:

• Avoid the area surrounding Hailsham Road to keep transit routes clear for emergency vehicles.
• Close windows and doors for nearby residents to protect homes from drifting smoke. 

This incident marks the second major field fire tackled by regional crews in just a two-day span, following a massive blaze that damaged up to 10,000 square meters of crops near the Drusillas roundabout in Berwick the evening prior.