Huge blaze breaks out in Essex field as firefighters battle wildfires across UK
Firefighters rushed to the scene to tackle the blaze when it broke out near Amersham Court in Rayleigh on Friday.
Dramatic images posted on social media show the fire raging, with flames engulfing the field and smoke billowing up into the sky.
Heatwaves and consistent dry weather have seen the London Fire Brigade tackle more wildfires this summer than in the whole of 2024. A senior firefighter said that crews were experiencing a 'busy summer' and that they were working under 'very challenging conditions' to bring the blazes under control.
Wildfires have even been raging in Scotland this summer, a place that rarely sees blazes break out. The Scottish Gamekeepers Association warned the fires were limiting the ability of 'stretched' firefighters to respond to other emergencies, so they were 'becoming a danger to human life'.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said its crews have been working hard to put out the fire in Rayleigh on Friday, which was in danger of spreading to nearby properties.
It confirmed the blaze did reach one outbuilding, but no one was injured in the incident.
Residents told local media that mobile homes near the blaze were evacuated after an electric pylon was set alight. Around three hectares of standing crop were on fire, according to Your Southend.
It added that road closures and the effects of the smoke on visibility had caused congestion on roads in the surrounding area.
The fire service issued a warning to motorists to drive carefully as smoke was blowing over the A129 and A1245.
In an update on Friday afternoon, group manager Marc Diggory confirmed the incident has now been downscaled.
He added that crews were set to remain at the scene for a few hours to dampen down hotspots, with road closures expected to lift soon.
It comes after a large grass fire broke out in Dagenham on Monday evening, with 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines used to bring the blaze near Clemence Road under control.
While fences, sheds and garden furniture were damaged, firefighters successfully prevented the blaze from spreading to homes in the area.
Another two fires also broke out, with 60 firefighters tackling a blaze spreading across six hectares in Hornchurch, and another 60 crew members deployed to a grass fire on Walthamstow Marshes.
A fourth grass fire broke out across six acres in Upminster on Tuesday afternoon.
Borough commander Blake Betts told the BBC that the three fires on Monday evening had been 'a lot' for the force, but specialist training had ensured they were prepared for the incident.
Also in July, fields were torched in Marlbrook, Worcestershire, after a fire broke out amid the third heatwave of the summer. Local residents were forced to evacuate their homes, while firefighters battled to get the flames under control.
Earlier in the summer, multiple wildfires burned for days in the Scottish Highlands. Scotland's fire and rescue service said that firefighters worked 'tirelessly' to tackle the wildfires from Carrbridge in the Highlands to Dallas village in Moray.
The National Fire Chiefs Council warned that wildfires have become increasingly common as the UK climate becomes more extreme, impacting all fire and rescue services across the UK.
It added that many wildfires are caused by human activity, as it urged caution over lighting fires in the open.
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