Fire Services Stretched by Busiest Summer On Record

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service came close to declaring a major incident during a series of wildfires earlier this month.

The service says crews have been consistently stretched for the past two and a half months as heatwaves and drought conditions have led to an increase in fires.

It says this has been the busiest summer in its 31-year history.

A declaration of a fire service major incident is an official decision that an event is too severe for normal day-to-day operations and needs a special, coordinated multi-agency response.

Four firefighters suffered heat-related injuries while tackling three separate wildfires on the same day, including a blaze off the A14 near Swinford.

Graham Vaux is LFRS’s Area Manager for Community Risk:

A large area of farmland near Market Harborough has been damaged after a combine harvester caught fire in the village of Sulby

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has also reported exceptionally high demand, describing July as one of the busiest months in its history.

Fire Control received 1,721 emergency calls during the month, with firefighters attending nearly 800 incidents.

These included around 450 fires, 23 large outdoor fires and approximately 50 road traffic collisions.

The number of incidents attended was higher than in previous Julys, including during the 2022 summer heatwave, when crews attended 743 incidents.

The service says demand has continued into August as prolonged hot and dry weather persists.