Firefighters tackle 63 London grass fires in a day
London Fire Brigade (LFB) had its busiest 24 hours of 2026 on Wednesday, tackling 63 grass fires across the capital as temperatures topped 30C (86F).
Control officers took more than 1,300 emergency calls and crews went to more than 500 incidents, the brigade said. Almost 1,000 calls about grass fires have been made in the past week.
On Wednesday, Havering recorded the most grass fires, with 47, followed by Barking and Dagenham with 16 while on Thursday, firefighters tackled two more grass fires in Hornchurch and Rainham.
LFB said the past 24 hours had been "incredibly challenging" and urged Londoners to take extra care during the hot weather.
LFBOn Wednesday, 15 fire engines and about 100 firefighters were sent to one grass fire in Rainham, where four hectares of grassland was alight.
Two further fires on Ingrebourne Hill in Rainham damaged nearly five hectares.
Eight engines and about 60 firefighters tackled separate grass fires on Eastern Avenue and Southern Way in Romford.
Six engines went to a fire involving rear gardens in Hornchurch, and four to a garden fire in Enfield.
Grassland was also damaged in Dagenham, Hornchurch, Hayes and Croydon, while 40 firefighters tackled an outbuilding fire in Romford.
The brigade said it had maintained cover across London by moving resources to where they were most needed.
Specialist terrain support vehicles remained available for grass and wildfire incidents, and water rescue teams continued to cover the capital's 370 miles (595km) of waterways, it said.
'It was instinct'
Tony Brennard, who filmed the video of the smaller blaze in Romford, said he found a small grass fire burning on one side of open land and called 999. He added the blaze spread rapidly before emergency services arrived.
"It sort of grew in a line and then whenever there was a little gust of wind it would jump about 10 more metres," he told the BBC.
As the fire approached nearby homes, residents worked together to help those at risk.
People evacuated properties, moved cars away from danger and used garden hoses and buckets of water to dampen grass and vegetation around houses.
Police later arrived at the scene, but Brennard said much of the initial response had been carried out by local residents.
He said it was reassuring to see the community come together before police and firefighters arrived.
"It was instinct, which tells you more than anything. It wasn't kind of like an organised, 'Let's get to it'.
"It was just people not wanting to stand around and watch it, move away, and trying to do something, anything."
He added: "It was quite a nice sort of reaffirmation that if things happen, then there are people around to help."
Assistant commissioner Andy Pennick said the past 24 hours had been "incredibly challenging" for firefighters and control staff, who had faced "arduous, hot conditions".
"In these hot, dry conditions, grass fires can spread incredibly quickly, threatening homes, wildlife and the environment, while tying up vital emergency resources," he said.
Pennick urged people not to use disposable barbecues in parks or open spaces, to dispose of cigarettes responsibly and to take litter home if bins were full.
He said home barbecues should be kept well away from fences, sheds and trees, and advised clearing dry vegetation from around buildings.
The warning comes as firefighters attended two more grass fires in the capital.
Eight fire engines and about 60 firefighters were called to a blaze near South End Road in Hornchurch at 13:18.
At its height, about six hectares (15 acres) of grassland were alight. No injuries were reported.
Later, eight fire engines and another 60 firefighters were sent to a grass fire near Berwick Pond Road in Rainham.
The brigade said it received the first of 11 emergency calls at 15:25 and brought the blaze under control by 17:12.
About six hectares of grassland also burned in Rainham.
The cause of both fires is not yet known.
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