The UK is experiencing the most widespread “firewave” ever seen, experts have warned, as dry conditions and back-to-back heatwaves create the perfect conditions for wildfires.
Emergency services were dealing with 19 wildfires, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said on Monday afternoon.
Two fire services have also declared major incidents due to large-scale wildfires, the latest in Derbyshire, where a moorland fire has been burning for three weeks.
It comes after an incident declared in Conwy, North Wales, which lasted from Sunday to late on Monday. Residents of the 36 evacuated properties have now been able to re-enter their homes after services tackled the blaze.
Claire Belcher, director of the Wildfire Lab at the University of Exeter, told The Guardian: “This ongoing ‘firewave’ is the most widespread that the UK has seen. We’ve had lots of fires in certain regions before, but we’ve never seen fires burning right across the country like this.
“Climate change is making wildfires more likely – with wet winters causing more vegetation growth, and prolonged heatwaves drying that vegetation – and we must manage our land better to reduce risks and stop fires spreading. The impact of wildfires on wildlife can be devastating, and restoring landscapes afterwards is really challenging.”
Fire and rescue teams are facing a combination of large moorland and agricultural fires, according to the NFCC. It added that “severe wildfire risk” remains across large parts of England and Wales, with “extreme risk” flagged in some locations.
The Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service continues to tackle a “large-scale wildfire” on Tintwistle Moor in Glossop, near the Dovestone Reservoir.
The Greater Manchester service is also responding to the blaze, with a spokesperson saying: “Due to strong winds, smoke from the fire travelled significant distances, with people reporting haze and the smell of smoke as far as Manchester city centre.”
“Since the initial call, crews have been working around the clock in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland,” they added.
Around 125 firefighters were also called on Sunday to a blaze in Walthamstow, east London, which caused parts of the Overground line to close. Several houses were evacuated but there were no injuries, according to the London Fire Brigade.
The conditions come as the UK grapples with its third heatwave of the year. While the heat is less intense than that felt in June, the prolonged high temperatures have led to dry conditions and drought fears. Several water companies have put hosepipe bans in place to handle heightened demand.
Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said: “The heatwave continues for much of the UK this week where we could see temperatures peak on Wednesday, possibly a high of 33C in some parts of southern-central England.
“Temperatures through much of this week for southern-central parts of England are into the low thirties, and mid to high twenties are even possible elsewhere.
“It’s going to be a sunny and warm week for the vast majority of the UK as high pressure remains in charge of our weather regime and is leading to clearer skies for many and lack of rainfall for many as well.”
He added: “What we can say as we get towards the weekend, we can see a slight dip in the temperatures to come.
“So rather than the low thirties that we’ve seen through much of the week, by Saturday we’re looking at peak temperatures possibly in the mid-to-high twenties for many.”
Read MoreUK wildfire map: Areas most at risk as firefighters tackle dozens of blazes
Heatwave fuels 19 wildfires across UK as more health warnings issued
