The scene of a blaze in the village of Wennington, east London. London Fire Brigade declared a major incident due to "a huge surge" in blazes across the capital amid the 40C heat, July 19, 2022
THE Fire Brigades Union called for urgent investment in services to protect the public today, two years after wildfires swept Britain during its hottest day on record.
On July 19 2022, temperatures in Britain hit 40.2°C as wildfires broke out across England.
The London Fire Brigades had its busiest day since the second world war, with 1,198 mobilisations and 500 residents evacuated.
Since 2010, one in five firefighter jobs has disappeared alongside 30% funding cuts — all while climate breakdown brings record blazes and flooding. It’s time to fund our fire service properly, writes FBU general secretary STEVE WRIGHT
When it comes to extreme weather events, from wildfires to flash floods, it’s firefighters who are on the front line of defence, but services have been cut to the bone, and government is not taking seriously its responsibility for the environment, says STEVE WRIGHT
