London's Burning

[ThePumpkinPatch]

I can't believe what I've just seen on the news... I'm genuinely gobsmacked and really praying for all those affected.

How do these temperatures set so many buildings alight in London, when hot countries (who predominantly have homes built of wood & to a lesser standard) don't? I know there's wildfires but they're usually started in woodlands/foliage (that haven't seen a single drop of rain in months) aren't they?

I guess I'm just shocked that that it obviously has been hot enough to set buildings alight 😳 Those images on Sky News are what I've always imagined the end of the world to look like and it's shocked me. Here in North Yorkshire it's currently 35° (was 40° earlier) but thankfully it's very windy - as always.

That should be 'major incident' (not emergency)

Mayor speaking now on ITV News, says there are a dozen fires, all fire service leave is cancelled ( the two biggest call outs involved 30 engines and 25)

Asking for no BBQs, careful smoking, no discarding bottles on glass (yes it's dry enough for magnified light to catch) and no arsing around in water (as fire service to stretched with fires to assist the other emergencies)

We live near heathland. I'd say it's fairly regular that we get heath fires locally- about half a mile from our house sometimes. I believe one of the most common starts is a discarded bottle on a hot day in dry grass.

Normally the first brigade stay in attendance and basically try and keep it under control. But it isn't easy: it takes several days-the current one's been going for over a week-I can smell the smoke on the wind when it's blowing in our direction. They get one bit down, then they find it's popped up somewhere else.
We've had a couple of times where we've been told to be ready for evacuation. One time it looked likely, the other time it was much more precautionary.

If the wind gets up, it's very dry or there are more fires elsewhere it's far more likely to get going. Wind means the fire leaps-that was when we had the likely to be evacuated time. It did get onto the estate, but luckily they managed to save the houses. Luckily it wasn't particularly dry at the time, which helped.
When it's bad you've got ashes dropping on you-those can also start secondary fires, especially when dry.

When I walk past the fires, it makes me think of the expression "fire is a good slave, but a poor master". If you can keep it under control, then there's not too much to worry about. Once it's in charge there is very little that can be done, especially when you have crews fighting several fires at once.

The thing is we so so rarely get incidents like this. That having fire breaks probably has never been seen as necessary. Perhaps that will change now.

I live on the edge of the moors and this past winter the farmers did a huge amount of burns to create firebreaks (many were reported in the press as wildfires but were actually deliver lit with the assistance of the fire brigade). This was done beach's it had been neglected through covid.
Hopefully this summer if fires do break here )which they probably will) hopefully the hard work done over the winter will control things.
I definitely think there is a conversation to be had about fire prevention and management especially as the climate is warming

You've obviously not got a toddler watching fireman Sam on repeat.

We have had them before. 3 years ago in our area there was a spate of field fires. Most caused by balers - threatened 250 houses but didn't even make the local news.

ive seen a baler and a combine go up in the last day. Just discussed with dh hooking up the plough and making sure our water bower is full on case of issues locally

But did any of the houses burn? I think 250 houses going up would have made the news wherever they were

our fire locally was contained by a water bower. was very effective an a brave farmer just tackled it. lost his crop though....what would it be,Maize?

Most years you get wild fires in Lancashire and it doesn’t even make the news, as soon as it’s down south it’s the top story!

It's people's homes! At least 8 families have lost their homes and you're being snippy about how it's reported?

So do we down south. Didn't even make the news when we were told to prepare to be evacuated (and some of the estate was). I'm watching a plume of smoke from the fire which has been going for a week now. You don't know about it though because it hasn't hit the news.

Don't turn it into a North south debate, because it is nothing to do with that.

Croydon... semi rural... 🤔

Why do people make these comments about other countries?
Remember all the “jokes” at the start of Covid - it coming hot on tail of murder hornets and Australian fires?

Dagenham and Upminster are not semi rural The Wennington one in Rainham is just horrendous which is the one that's mainly on Sky news. We've been dropping supplies to the community centre to distribute to the emergency services, there was also a terrible fire close by in Hornchurch last night at a block of assisted living flats, they are doing a fantastic job in such awful conditions.

We are very blessed in Havering to be in London and have easy tube access into the city but be surrounded but many country parks and they are all just so dry. The grass is crispy to walk on and lots of houses border these areas. It's tragic for the people who have lost their homes.

Awful watching those scenes. Must be linked to the high temperatures, I would assume even if a gas cylinder has exploded, or compost heap set alight, the root cause is also the weather.
Imagine if that is your home. Devastating
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Croydon... semi rural...

It's a rural idyll, innit?

I live just within the Borough of Croydon and am in a rural area, surrounded by farm and downland. Its not all 1950s office blocks.

Eid was over a week ago. Noone is setting off fireworks now.

Sorry meant to quote to this

It's raining now, that should help.

I'm in zone 3 London. There were fireworks last night at midnight, and the night before the house opposite me was on fire, needed 2 fire engines. Not sure of the reason for that - I don't remember if it had become very hot at that point.

I came from Auckland and we regularly had fires in summer. There were big signs on the motorways about fire risks. I remember reds often. We regularly had hosepipe bans. I remember car washes with recycled waters too.

You must have heard of fires in Australia?

I am only giving you comparisons of other relatively rich nations.

I live in Portugal, we get forest fires every year to a greater or lesser extent.

Fireworks, barbecues and motorised garden equipment like strimmers are banned. Also parking cars on grassed areas, as the heat off the engine can spark a fire when the area is very dry. Anyone with land has to have it cut back, within certain requirements and especially if close to property, by the end of March.

Our Bombeiros do a fantastic job every year

I am well aware what Croydon is like.

And the fires are not "semi rural"

I’ve watched the planes scooping up water to drop on the fires many times in the Algarve @Costacoffeeplease.