UK Firefighters Battle 19 Active Wildfires as Heatwave Fuels 260-Hectare Peak District Blaze
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 14
UK Firefighters Battle 19 Active Wildfires as Heatwave Fuels 260-Hectare Peak District Blaze
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 14
Summary
Around 19 wildfires were still burning across the UK on Tuesday, with fire chiefs warning crews face “extreme pressure” as prolonged heat and dry weather leave little respite.
Natural England said fire risk is “very high” or “exceptional” across much of England and Wales, with parched vegetation making any ignition source—from barbecues to cigarettes—more likely to spread.
At Tintwistle Moor in the Peak District, 30 to 40 firefighters were tackling a blaze that began on 24 June and has burned about 260 hectares of moorland and woodland.
North Wales brought a major Conwy incident under control, but firefighters were still battling other blazes near Bethesda and in the Rhinogydd range, while weekend fires also hit Hampshire, Durham, Sussex, Devon and Somerset.
Police arrested a 20-year-old woman on suspicion of arson after reports of fireworks near the Peak District fire, underscoring concerns that extreme conditions still need a human ignition source.