Major incidents were declared on Tuesday 19 July 2022 by fire services in London, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, following a devastating outbreak of fires on the hottest recorded day in the UK.
nine fires
In London, over 400 firefighters were tackling at least nine fires through the night that began on Tuesday. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has detailed where their resources were sent as the day went on:
- 30 fire engines and 175 firefighters attended a grass fire on Pea Lane, Upminster, which resulted in smoke blowing across the M25.
- Twelve engines went to tackle a fire involving trees and garden fencing in Uxbridge Road, Pinner.
- Ten engines were sent to a restaurant fire on Green Lanes, Southgate.
- Eight engines attended a grass fire on Oaks Road, Croydon.
- Eight engines attended a grass fire on Ballards Road, Dagenham.
- Twelve engines were sent to a fire at The Broadway, Wembley.
- Six engines went to a grass fire on Sunningfields Crescent, Hendon.
- Four engines were sent to a woodland fire covering around 2.5 acres on Chapel View in Croydon.
- Four engines attended a fire on Sidcup Road, Eltham.
- Ten fire engines tackled a blaze involving a car wash, two semi-detached houses, and nine vehicles in Hawthorne Avenue, Kenton.
wildfire through homes
Euston station was also evacuated following an electric fire near the tracks
Other notable fires include a blaze in Wennington, London, which saw over 100 firefighters tackling a wildfire that spread from grasslands to neighboring homes.
LFB has confirmed that two rows of terraced houses were destroyed in the fire, along with four other houses, 12 stables, and five cars. A firefighter at the scene described it as "absolute hell." Euston station was also evacuated following an electric fire near the tracks.
House damage due to fire
Just outside London, several huge fires broke out on Dartford Heath, which continued to be tackled overnight by at least 30 fire engines. Smoke could reportedly be seen for miles and affected traffic on the A1. In the north of England, Barnsley saw a fire that damaged a row of houses. Local Councillor Chris Wray said that four houses had been "destroyed," and a further two were significantly damaged.
In Rotherham, another grass fire is reported to have spread to eight nearby houses. The National Horseracing College in Doncaster suffered significant fire damage to their barns, but that "fortunately, all learners, staff, and horses are safe."
Leicestershire, Norfolk Fire, and Rescue fire
Leicestershire suffered two large outdoor fires, including a farm fire in Walton on the Wolds, and a blaze at the grasslands in Newtown Linford saw eight engines in attendance.
Norfolk Fire and Rescue gave a statement saying that "all appliances are either committed to ongoing incidents or have been alerted to a state of standby for incoming calls," while neighboring Suffolk Fire and Rescue had been called to over 60 incidents on the day.
Lincolnshire fire
The heat also caused around 8,000 properties in northeast England to be left without power
Lincolnshire saw eight fire crews attend a blaze at a four-story apartment block in Boston, and a further six at an incident involving several fields and bales at Gayton Top.
The high temperatures also brought disruption to several public services, including a total disruption to trains between London and Scotland due to overhead electric lines being damaged. The heat also caused around 8,000 properties in northeast England to be left without power as equipment overheated.
Managing fires
Sadiq Khan appeared on the Today program, saying “There were more than a dozen fires at the same time,” and that the LFB received over 2,600 calls, with one fire requiring 30 fire engines to tackle.
He also described 19 July as the busiest day London’s fire service had seen since World War Two.
an unprecedented level of wildfires
Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), gave a statement detailing how the UK’s fire services were dealing with an "unprecedented level of wildfires," saying, "I've been in the fire service for over 30 years now and yesterday was just about the busiest I've ever seen the fire and rescue service in that time."
"The images that we saw yesterday remind me of what I've seen in California, Australia, and southern Europe in recent years, and not so much in the UK."
record-breaking heatwave
During the heatwave, London’s firefighters are working incredibly hard in hot conditions" In response to the London Fire Brigade declaring a major incident across the capital, Labour’s London Assembly Fire and Resilience Spokesperson, Anne Clarke AM, said, “During the record-breaking heatwave London’s firefighters are working incredibly hard in hot, challenging conditions to bring multiple blazes under control across the capital.
"It’s critical people only call 999 if there is a genuine emergency or if there’s an immediate risk to life. But, if you do see a fire smoldering, however small it may look, don't hesitate to call 999. The sooner they know about a fire, the sooner it can be brought under control."
Reduce fire risk
Ms. Clarke also urged people to look out for the vulnerable family, friends, and neighbors, and not to have barbecues or bonfires to reduce the risk of further fires spreading.
The number of casualties due to these fires is not yet known, due to the widespread and disparate nature of the day’s incidents.
Thorough investigation
LFB Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith said, "At the moment, because of the sheer number of incidents we've been attending, we will be pulling all of that information together and making sure every incident is thoroughly investigated."
"Once we've done that we'll be able to give an accurate picture of exactly the incidents we've attended, how many homes have been affected, and if there have been any casualties."
