Awful fire in Greater London

[MrsDThomas]

So many houses lost. Absolutely horrific.

hope none of you ate affected.

I can see two fires in east London from my flat.
Just terrible.

Had some big fires near me too, took these earlier, poor farmer.

There are so many fires currently, and I'm in the middle of them. Picked kids up from school earlier and there was smoke coming from 2 directions, by the time I got home another had started.

My partner was in a pub opposite 1 fire earlier. He said it was like a war zone, fire fighters carrying dogs and cats to safety and even leading horses. The landlord has taken the animals in and said he'll give them a room until the owners can be traced.

Another fire has started over the country park and apparently they can't send anyone as there's nobody left to attend.

My street are all so worried as we back onto a massive field 😣

Jesus christ, wildfires in Croydon. Sounds like something out of an Danny Boyle movie. I'd like to see the climate change deniers argue that one.

Isn’t this part of the reason Australia banned smoking in cars? To stop people chucking lit cigarettes onto dry ground

And still the climate change deniers are out in force banging on about 1976.

It's east of London isn't it? Not Greater London.

There have been two very serious house fires in Swindon this week too - both involving more than one house. That wasn't on national news either.

It's devastating. My heart goes out to everyone affected, and the amazing firefighters

Just dreadful. Feel so sorry for all involved and just total respect for the fire fighters working in this heat.

Sadiq Kahn has he mentioned no BBQ or being careful?

It's just that the message doesn't seem to be filtering out with any meaning.

Don't start any forms of BBQ.

Do houses go up in flames faster? I'm in a big block of flats where the advice is stay put....because of all the fire doors, there's fire extinguishers etc. my friend lives in a block with sprinklers in each flat. We joke about not burning the toast.

I had to report a local fire once and I was shocked how quickly it went up - Victorian house.

we had a boiler fire here and thank everything, it was quite contained. The boilers are housed in cupboards with doors that are apparently resistant to fire for 20 mins.

On a separate note, disposable BBQs have spoiled every green space in London.

@MrsOwainGlyndŵr It’s Greater London. London borough of Havering.

Fire resistant doors aren't rated to 20minutes. It's either 30,60 or 120min. In a shared accommodation block most party walls have a 120min fire rating.

Also Victorian houses have very little fire protecting elements internally - they were built when there were no fire regulations. I lived in one and the only thing separating my floor with the one below was a thin bit of wallpaper - I know for sure as I had to repair it. Victorian houses are poorly made so I'm surprised you are shocked by how quickly the fire spreads in one.

That was due to a discarded cigarette wasn't it?

Six houses in Barnsley have gone up in flames as well. I saw the smoke when I was driving home, then read about it online. Local business have already started collections for the people who have lost their houses.

I always wonder how they start - irresponsible barbecuing? A cigarette that hasn't been put out properly?

Rubbish. I doubt very many people on Mumsnet are denying climate change.

The points made about the summer of 1976 are not connected to climate change, which is of course the bigger picture.

1995 was drier and hotter than 1976

No one seems to remember that

DH is a fire fighter. His station are on duty at the station during the day, at home on pagers at night. Usually we see him at night but he's barely been home for 3 days. He's cancelled his day off tomorrow. But he genuinely loves his job, it's what he joined for, but I've never know it to be this busy.

I don't want to turn this into a political rant, because people have lost their homes and livelihoods. But fire services across the country are on their knees because of our government critically underfunding them. It's going to take people dying before changes are made.

I though it said on the news that one of the fires was started by a over heating compost heap 🤷‍♂️

Please visit any of the other weather threads, where there are multiple posters bleating on about 1976 and the fact we're all snowflakes now and should just enjoy the delightful sunshine.

I remember 1995 @Chevyimpala67. I was living in Leeds at the time, and all the reservoirs in the Pennines were practically empty. They had to tanker water in from Kielder.

@RampantIvy wasnt that found to be substantially exacerbated by chronic under maintenance of the pipe network though? I remember it as we went for a walk at the reservoir with a village at the bottom of it and you could walk round the village!

No. That is a reductive and ignorant argument. People were making comparisons between this 2 day heatwave and 3 months of drought and saying it would be possible to get through it fairly easily by making simple adjustments for the heat for a couple of days.