Many of the flames on Tuesday were detected by NASA’s FIRMS database, which uses satellites to track fires around the world in real time. FIRMS data can be accessed from NASA’s open source satellite tool, NASA Worldview. The image below shows fire alerts recorded across the UK by NASA’s satellite on Tuesday. Image: Credit: NASA Worldview and LANCE FIRMS. Red dots indicate thermal anomalies, such as fires. The system does not record the cause of the fire, but we know from emergency services that many of Tuesday’s incidents are believed to be linked to excessive heat. Read more: More than 100 firefighters battle tower blaze Fires leave charred remains of homes and cars – and ‘danger is not over’ Many of Tuesday’s FIRMS warnings are in the east and in places where the land looks noticeably drier than in other parts of the country. Buckinghamshire (1), North Yorkshire (2), Nottinghamshire (3), Humberside (4), London (5), Cheshire (6), Leicestershire (7), Bedford (8), Hertfordshire (9), Norfolk (10) , Suffolk (11), Cambridge (12), Lincolnshire (13) and South Yorkshire (14) fire and rescue services all declared serious incidents on Tuesday. Image: Credit: NASA Worldview and LANCE FIRMS. Major incidents are typically larger, more complex life-threatening incidents that require additional coordination, according to the National Council of Fire Chiefs. The number of fires detected by FIRMS on Tuesday is significantly higher than on the same day last year. This year alone, England and Wales had 442 fires, up from 247 last year. In London, fire services responded to 1,146 incidents on Tuesday – the busiest day since the Second World War. Fierce fires have been burning across Europe for weeks, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. The FIRMS database shows notices recorded in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy among others. Firefighters across the continent continue to battle blazes fueled by high temperatures and extremely dry weather. The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to delivering transparent journalism from Sky News. We collect, analyze and visualize data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite imagery, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while showing how our journalism is done. Why data journalism matters to Sky News