Major outbreaks have been declared in London, South Yorkshire and Leicestershire due to the number of incidents, with people advised not to barbecue in parks and private gardens and on patios and balconies due to the risk of fire. Residents were evacuated from their homes in the east London village of Wennington after flames destroyed buildings and ravaged nearby fields as temperatures soared to 40C for the first time. At least one house was destroyed by the fire, while others appeared to be severely damaged. A firefighter at the scene, asked by the PA news agency what the conditions were like, replied: “Absolute hell.” Firefighters after tending to fires that had broken out in extreme heat in Wennington, London. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images Local resident Janet Hickey, who has terminal pancreatic cancer, said she was forced to leave all her cancer medication behind during the mass evacuation. The 70-year-old said: “I have all my anti-cancer drugs in the fridge.” Her husband Patrick Hickey, 71, added: “We had to leave everything. We’re hoping against hope that our home is still there.” There was also a major incident in South Yorkshire after firefighters were called to tackle a number of blazes which had spread to houses. The most serious was in Barnsley when a row of houses in the Moorland Avenue area were engulfed in flames. Kevin Osborne, a Labor councilor for Barnsley, tweeted that he believed six houses were involved as he posted video of a house being destroyed by flames. Local residents have started a crowdfunding page to help those involved, writing on JustGiving: “They have managed to contain the fire but the houses have been completely destroyed. People are left with nothing. “Let’s show them the community spirit of Barnsley and raise some much-needed money for them, whether it’s for short-term accommodation or to help them rebuild. Thanks for the support.” Videos on social media showed several houses in Dagenham, east London, destroyed after a “major fire” left a man and a woman in hospital with smoke inhalation. In nearby Upminster, 30 fire engines tackled a grass fire in Pea Lane. The scene of a fire in the village of Wennington, east London, which destroyed several houses. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said London’s fire service had received more than 1,600 calls for help by late Tuesday afternoon. Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at the LFB, told Sky News that many of the fires spread over large areas and started because the ground is “dry”. The Metropolitan Police advised people not to open barbecues or fires, avoid leaving broken bottles or glasses on the ground and dispose of cigarettes safely. The force said: “Our colleagues at the London Fire Service are working incredibly hard to tackle a number of fires across London in the most difficult conditions. Some of these fires are in large areas and will require a constant presence throughout the night. “Officers have been deployed to these major incidents throughout the day to provide safety and security to the affected areas and support LFB crews.” South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said: “Emergency services working across South Yorkshire have now declared a serious incident due to demand for services from fires across the county. Fires are prioritized over danger to life and danger to property. “All agencies are working closely to pool resources and minimize risk. Please avoid calling 999 unless life is in danger. More information to come.” On Tuesday night Leicestershire Fire and Rescue responded to a major incident in the area when demand on the fire service reached overwhelming levels this afternoon due to record temperatures. He tweeted: “We are now withdrawing from a major incident. We have a sufficient level of resources back in the organization to respond as usual. We’d like to thank everyone for their support, it’s much appreciated.”
