Live Updates: Homes Burning Amid Record Heat In UK

On Jul 19, 2022

An intense heat wave is gripping parts of Europe.
The U.K. hit an all-time record high.
Several fires are burning amid the heat.

A neighborhood is on fire amid record heat in England.

The blaze broke out Tuesday in grass in Dartford, about 15 miles southeast of London. Crews were working to extinguish the flames, according to an update posted by Kent Fire and Rescue.

The U.K. is seeing its hottest temperatures ever on record today. The mercury hit 40.2 degrees Celsius, or about 104 degrees Fahrenheit, at 12:50 p.m. local time at London’s Heathrow Airport. In addition to London, multiple other locations also topped the U.K.’s previous national record set in July 2019.

Here are the latest updates:

Residents Asked Not To Call Emergency Services (11:08 a.m. ET)

The London Fire Brigade is asking people not to call for assistance unless they have a true emergency or see a fire burning.

“If you do see a fire smoldering, don’t hesitate to call us,” the brigade tweeted. “The sooner we know about a fire, the sooner we can bring it under control.”

Several Fires Burning in London (10:54 a.m. ET)

“We have declared a major incident as firefighters battle several significant fires across the capital during today’s record-breaking heatwave,” the London Fire Brigade said on Twitter.

Photos on the page show fires burning both buildings and vegetation.

Aerial Video Shows Homes Ablaze (10:49 a.m. ET)

Video from Sky News shows homes burning.

Fires Burning In Several Countries (10:45 ET)

The heat wave has already fueled several wildfires across Europe that have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

More than 31,000 people have been evacuated over the past week due to wildfires in the Gironde region of France. Several areas in the western part of the country hit all-time record highs with temperatures rising as high as 108 degrees in some spots.

“The fire is literally exploding,” Marc Vermeulen, the regional fire service chief, told the Associated Press. “We’re facing extreme and exceptional circumstances.”

(MORE: Ongoing U.S. Heat A Reminder It’s The Hottest Time Of Year For Many)

Extreme Heat Is Deadly (10:40 ET)

In Spain, the bodies of two people who died in a wildfire were found Sunday and Monday in northwest Zamora province. Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal have reported at least 748 heat-related deaths so far this month.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the extreme heat is evidence of the severity of climate change impacts.

“I want to make something very clear,” Sánchez said, according to the Guardian. “Climate change kills: it kills people, as we’ve seen; It also kills our ecosystem, our biodiversity, and it also destroys the things we as a society hold dear – our houses, our businesses, our livestock.”

At least four people drowned in the United Kingdom while swimming in lakes, rivers or reservoirs to get relief from the heat, according to the AP.

Heat Brings Travel Woes

Both commuters and longer-range travelers were being impacted by closures and reduced services due to the weather.

London Luton Airport, about 28 miles north of the city, was forced to shut down Monday after heat caused a portion of runway to buckle, according to a tweet from…