Dozens of dangerous grass fires broke out across the country on Tuesday, causing devastation to homes and green areas, as overstretched fire services were forced to declare major incidents and stop responding to some callouts.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said it would have to prioritise callouts “in relation to risk to life and risk to property” as it tackled a major blaze with houses on fire in Barnsley, while Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it would stop responding to automatic fire alarms, and London Fire Brigade warned it was “facing unprecedented challenges”.

In the village of Wennington, in the outer east London borough of Havering, people were forced to flee their homes with moments’ notice on the hottest day of the year, as flames and smoke from a huge grass fire engulfed their houses.

A firefighter at the scene said conditions were “absolute hell” as hundreds battled to limit the spread of the rapidly-advancing blaze, with around 40 hectares of grassland alight, including farm buildings, houses and garages.

There was no sign the fire was under control hours after it broke out on Tuesday, as firefighters struggled to stop the fire from spreading to nearby Rainham, and police officers went door-to-door to evacuate residents at risk.

Fire engines at the scene were running out of water, as a tractor with a tank of water attached was deployed to resupply fire engines out in the field, while the BBC reports one man resorted to digging a trench around his house in a bid to provide a fire break.

Meanwhile, Havering Council was scrambling to provide water and shelter to residents evacuated from their homes on the hottest day of the year.

Timothy Stock, a gravedigger who lives close to where the fire started with his wife Maggie, told i they had “lost everything”.

Mr Stock, 66, told i: “I didn’t pick driver’s licence up or birth certificates, so I lost everything… photographs, records, everything’s gone, but the only good thing is we’re all okay.

“I’m assuming it was spontaneous combustion as regards like grass cuttings leaves and it gets hot and then that just burst into flames.”

He lived in the house for 41 years, and his grandad lived in it before him.

He added: “(I’m a) bit devastated now. It’s the little things you never get back, like guitars and stuff like that. Records you can never get again, some classic records. It’s not the financial side of it. It’s just starting again.”

One 15-year-old resident, who lives in nearby Rainham, said she was keeping cool with her mum in their basement before she saw what had happened on Facebook.

“I just checked my phone and saw that my uncle’s house was on fire. Now it’s completely burned down. It’s just ash,” she told i. “We can’t get hold of him.”

Mamun Chowdhury, 45, who lives a couple of minutes away from where the fire is raging, shared his worries for his family.

“We are a bit concerned because at the moment we are getting no information. We can only assume we are not in any form of danger at the moment,” he told i.

“I’ve got two elderly parents they’re both disabled and they’re in their 80s, I’ve got a five-year-old daughter, my son who is 18 and my wife… I’m more worried about them than anything else.”

Another resident said Wennington and the surrounding areas are used to summer fires, with a major blaze on the local green several years ago.

“But it’s nothing like this,” she told i. “This is like the apocalypse. I keep running out into the back to check it hasn’t ripped round into the garden.”

Local volunteers helped attach pumps to water holes lining the streets leading between Wennington and Rainham as fire brigades struggled in the heat.

Councillor Sue Ospreay told i: “We’ve opened up the school to take people in who’ve been evacuated… we’ve been speaking to people who’ve lost their homes.

“I spoke to one woman from Wennington Green who was evacuated with her husband, she said ‘I’ve got my passport, I’ve got my driving licence, if we lose our home, we lose our home. We’ve still got one another.”

She added: “If you see the tall flat building that’s in flames, that’s the fire station.”

Ms Ospreay said the fire appears to have broken out in an old barn and spread rapidly across the grasslands “because it’s so hot and so dry,” adding: “We’ve got teens here helping out, one mum gave us £50 and just said buy whatever you can for people, Rainham has a big heart and a big community.”

Amid fears that nearby Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve could be at risk, spokesperson Tony Whitehead told i: “The wind is blowing away from the reserve at the moment, and we don’t think there’s an immediate danger.

“There’s also a railway between the fire and the reserve that might act as a wind break. Rainham Marshes was closed today due to the extreme weather so all our staff are OK. We do have people locally keeping an eye on the situation though.”

The Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Ray Morgon, said: “As we continue to respond to the tragic fires that have ripped through Wennington today – we are doing all we can to help those affected.

“We have now opened a rest centre to help any residents who have been evacuated and are unable to go to family or friends’ homes.

“We know that very sadly at least eight properties have been totally destroyed. After spending the afternoon there to help out and support those affected I have to say how devastated I am for all those people and we will do all we can to help them rebuild their lives.

“I want to thank the brave firefighters who remain on the scene as well as those council officers who will work through the night and in the days ahead to support.

“In the meantime we need local people to help us in this vital work by being sensible and not doing anything to add extra pressure on our already stretched Ambulance, Fire and Police services. Please also continue to avoid the area if at all possible.”

The London Fire Brigade has declared a major incident relating to a series of fires across greater London, including a blaze in Wembley, and a huge grass fire in Upminster next to a c2c train line and the M25 motorway.

Assistant Commissioner for Operational Resilience and Control, Patrick Goulbourne, said: “The Brigade remains ready to respond to incidents, however we want to ensure our resources are available for people who really need our help.”

The London Fire Brigade declared the major incident citing the tremendous strain on their services, as they tackled:

Boris Johnson said: “My thanks go to all the firefighters and frontline services who are working incredibly hard to keep us safe on this scorching day. I urge everyone to continue to follow the advice from emergency services – including the London Fire Brigade as they respond to incidents.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel added: With dangerous fires burning across the country, I continue to urge the public to follow all safety advice from their local fire service, and stay safe.

“I pay tribute to the professionalism and skill of our fire services, who are working in difficult conditions to protect lives and communities.

“Please continue to follow all advice from your local emergency services.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service was in attendance at the scene of a separate blaze near Durrell Dene, in Joyce Green, Dartford which left smoke billowing over the A2.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service also declared a major incident – as the dry and hot conditions lead to dozens of blazes across the country. The force said it would not be attending automatic fire alarms as resources were stretched.

Tuesday is officially the hottest day on record in the UK, as temperatures hit 40°C for the first time ever and the blistering heat causes widespread disruption.

The Met Office confirmed a provisional temperature of 40.3°C was recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Until today, the record temperature for the UK was 38.7°C, set in Cambridge in 2019.

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