According to an expert, the wildfires that erupted across the UK during the record-breaking 40.3°C heatwave spread similarly to the Great Fire of London in 1666 and could have ‘been worse if we had more wind.
This week, horrifying fires tore through homes as Britain experienced its hottest day ever, breaking the 40C (104F) barrier for the first time.
The fires that tore through homes and buildings in London on Tuesday were described by firefighters as “absolute hell,” with residents being evacuated after their homes were destroyed, two people being taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and 1,600 calls for help.
The fire in Wennington, east of London, close to the Dartford Crossing, destroyed two rows of terraced homes, four additional homes, twelve stables, and five cars.
With at least 110 fire trucks dispatched to fires throughout the capital, the London fire brigade reported Tuesday as their busiest day since the end of World War II.
The destruction, however, could have been much worse if the 14 mph wind gusts had been stronger, according to Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, who played a significant role in how the Great Fire of London was spread, according to The Observer.
The three-night-long 1666 inferno, which burned down St. Paul’s Cathedral along with 13,200 homes and 84 churches, destroyed 80% of the city.
Approximately 100,000 Londoners lost their homes in the fire, despite the fact that, miraculously, only six people are thought to have perished. Many ended up spending several years living in tents and shacks.
Let’s put it this way, Professor Rein told the newspaper, “The [great fire of London] was completely unstoppable while it was blowing. More wind would have made Tuesday even worse.
Despite London being “far safer” than it would have been in 1666, according to Professor Rein, the Great Fire of London on Tuesday was a “urban fire” that was particularly dangerous because of “embers carried by the wind.”
According to officials, at least 16 London firefighters were hurt on Tuesday, two of whom were taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.
As they responded to a number of incidents in South Yorkshire, four additional firefighters were taken to the hospital. Since then, they have fully recovered.
As the UK experienced “tinderbox” dry conditions that made wildfires a threat to homes, animals, and people, hundreds of fire crews elsewhere in the nation battled raging infernos in Wales, Scotland, and the rest of England.
One woman in Wennington claimed that her uncle was trapped and attempting to put out the flames by “digging a trench” around his home. He was later saved by police.
Wennington is listed in the Domesday Book because of its Norman church, and last night, amidst the smouldering remains of burned-out houses, it seemed like an appropriate description. Susan Ospreay, a local councilwoman, was “devastated.”
Around 1 pm, a compost pile in a dry grassland area next to the Wennington fire station appeared to have started the fire, prompting firefighters to rush to the scene.
However, they fought in vain to stop it from quickly engulfing back gardens and igniting tinder-dry scrubland. Locals reported hearing the sound of panicked horses whinnying in a nearby field as homes were being destroyed.
The tragic village fire served as the most dramatic illustration of how the nation was unable to cope as the temperature rose to previously unheard-of levels.
One local said the destroyed community resembled “a scene from the Blitz.”
John Bishop, a resident, claims to have seen the fire as it began to spread from his back window.
‘I saw a compost heap which went up in flames and I’m wondering if that was the source of this fire,’ he told the Telegraph.
“The fire grew into an inferno incredibly fast.” Although I’ve been watching my house on the news via the helicopter pictures, I really don’t know much about it.
Tim Stock said he and his son saw the fire in his neighbor’s garden but were powerless to stop it from spreading. Tim Stock’s own home was destroyed in the incident.
The 66-year-old, who serves as both the church warden and the village gravedigger, was able to flee with his family, two dogs, and a tortoise.
I lost everything, he declared. There was no turning back with the house, the garden, and the two beehives.
When my son took some items to his friend’s house, it burned down about ten minutes later, leaving him with nothing.
I have 50 years of experience digging graves. My truck, which belonged to the council, has blown up. I lacked the time to say it.
“I stayed at the Thurrock Hotel last night.” The council tried to place us in people’s homes, but we have two dogs and my Malty the tortoise.
He described how the blaze began, saying, “The fire started across the cornfield.
At one point I got stranded behind the cordon and the field was burning so I couldn’t get out that way.”
We got everyone inside the church because I hold the keys; they were all covered in soot and were drinking water when the building started filling with smoke, forcing us to re-expel everyone.
To be completely honest, I’m shocked it didn’t burn down as well.
He said, “It was like a warzone,” when asked to describe the scene following Tuesday’s fire. It truly resembled a scene from the Blitz as all the windows had burst out and all the roofs had collapsed down the main road.
It’s just heartbreaking. He said to BBC Radio 5 Live, “I mean, I’ve been there 41 years, but my granddad was there before me, so we’ve been there 60 or so years.”
And it’s extremely awful to see how everything fell apart yesterday.
However, as I previously stated, we’ll clear the site, set up a sort of mobile house there, and then we’ll start over.