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Heartbreak as Blaze Destroys Outdoor Nursery Play Area
14 Jul
Summary
- An outdoor nursery's children's area was devastated by a fire.
- The fire at Little Wild Tribe is believed to have been started deliberately.
- Community offers of help pour in to rebuild the vandalized nursery site.
An outdoor nursery in Essex has been left heartbroken after a fire 'decimated' its children's area. The incident occurred at Little Wild Tribe's base at Hadleigh Country Park on Saturday evening, July 12, 2026. The nursery founder, Kelly Guthrie, described the site as having been "ferociously vandalised," emphasizing that the children were the ones being punished by this "mindless destruction."
Essex fire service confirmed crews extinguished the flames by 8:00 PM BST, stating the fire was believed to have been started deliberately. While the outdoor learning facilities and a seating area suffered damage, the nursery will remain operational using other available spaces. A social media call for witnesses received a "phenomenal" response, with numerous offers of assistance for rebuilding coming from across the country.
