The street was one of the worst hit by the raging fires fueled by record temperatures, which have destroyed more than 60 homes across the UK, some completely flattened. A major incident was declared by emergency services in South Yorkshire, which was particularly intense with at least four large house fires and the fire service called for help from neighboring areas including West Yorkshire and Derbyshire. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was “high” in its response, with the service’s control room receiving 2,195 calls in 24 hours. Firefighters in Maltby after a fire broke out in bushland before spreading to outbuildings, fences and houses. Photo: South Yorkshire Fire/Twitter/PA By the end of Tuesday, four firefighters from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue had been treated for heat exhaustion after tackling the blazes wearing thick protective gear in temperatures of more than 40C. Now they have recovered. But many people are left wondering how such a thing could happen. Dave Walton, a West Yorkshire firefighter, described Tuesday’s events as a “game changer” and said it was “a glimpse into the future”. If you don’t believe in climate change ask a firefighter who has been on duty for the last two days what he thinks He tweeted: “This is about the demand for fire engines and firefighters, far exceeding the numbers any reasonable person would expect to be available at any given time. This is a completely and fundamentally different operating environment where fires burn so ferociously and spread so rapidly in suburban areas that YOU CAN’T STOP THEM.” He said conditions in the UK were similar to those seen in warmer parts of Europe for the first time. He added: “Your Fire and Rescue staff are heroes – every single one of them – but they cannot perform miracles. Today was all about climate change, the UK’s hottest day on record – EVER! If you don’t believe in climate change, ask a firefighter who has been on duty in the last two days what he thinks about it.” Firefighters warn there will be more to come as homes remain “dry” and vulnerable to being ignited by barbecues, bonfires and even sun-magnifying glass. Firefighters are tackling a blaze which engulfed nearby houses in the Shiregreen area of Sheffield. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images “Wearing my heart on my sleeve, I’m concerned,” said Paul Heffernan, area manager for the South Yorkshire service. “It’s not even August even based on previous summers, unless we have a miserable summer I think it could get worse. “I can’t praise the people in our service enough, our frontline firefighters and our partners. They really have gone above and beyond and delivered a cracking service. But it’s an endurance game and it could be a long summer. “If someone is careless with a barbecue, drops a bit of glass or has a stupid fire, it can have devastating effects on communities.” Debris and destruction in Wennington, London, after a major fire blaze as the UK experienced a record-breaking heatwave. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images A major incident also occurred in London on Tuesday after an increase in the number of calls to the fire service. On Wednesday morning, the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said it was the busiest night for the service since the second world war. In Wennington, east London, Claire Taylor told the PA news agency her house was gone “within two minutes” of the time it caught fire. The mother of three said her family lost almost all of their possessions in the fire, adding that they were still in shock but were “trying to get by”. “This must be the start of the six-week vacation. It should all be exciting,” he said. On Wednesday, the scene of the fire was cordoned off and fire hoses were still covering the road. Father-of-two Chris Stevens told the Guardian he was extremely shocked by the fires. “I’ve seen this on TV before. This is happening in Portugal, this is happening in Spain, this is not happening in Wennington,” he said. The scene after the fire in the village of Wennington. Photo: Aaron Chown/PA “I grew up in Dagenham and there have been a lot of fires in the summer but yesterday was just ridiculous, completely unprecedented,” he added. Stevens was on a work call when the fire started and described hearing a loud bang. When he saw the smoke approaching the house, he began to panic for the safety of his children. “I just grabbed the kids [from school] and I shot them at the house of my parents who live in the area,” he said. “The roads here are pretty dry. The fire would have to come some way to get to the house, but it’s better safe than sorry. It’s really worrying.” A resident living in the village argued that the government is not taking action fast enough to deal with the climate emergency. “What the government is doing is ignoring it,” he said. “I’ve lived 72 years and we’ve had heatwaves in the past, but never the fires we’ve had now.” The burnt remains of houses after a fire in Maltby. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Communities on Wednesday came together to help displaced families pick up the pieces of their lives, as many were left with only the clothes they were wearing when their homes were engulfed in flames. Paul Hughes, whose home in Kiveton Park, Rotherham, was one of three destroyed by fire, thanked neighbors for trying to save his home and said the support they showed afterwards “restored my faith in people and the community”. He said: “We are safe and with the family and just trying to deal with it all and make sure our boys are OK. [We’re] completely shocked and overwhelmed at the moment.” A fundraiser for the families who lost their homes in Barnsley on Tuesday had raised almost £20,000 by the end of Wednesday, far exceeding its £1,000 target.
