Hampshire firefighters tackle surging number of wildfires this year due to record-breaking summer

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Service battled 958 blazes this summer, which was the joint hottest on record in the UK. Area manager Jason Avery said: ‘It was an exceptionally busy time for all of our teams. We are immensely proud of the commitment, dedication and professionalism they showed, and the part they played in protecting our communities.

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‘Despite a very high number of challenging and demanding incidents, we were able to respond to every incident we were called to, including those over the border, where we provided support to our fire and rescue service partners.’

The fire service recorded 447 fires – in the category of ‘grassland, woodland and crops’ – in August 2022, compared to in 65 in 2021. Emergency services also recorded 56 in June and 416 in July this year, compared 83 and 41 last year respectively (189 in total).

In 2020, there were 305 wildfires between July and August. Across England, fire services dealt with 24,316 wildfires in that three month period, the highest for at least a decade.

This is almost four times the 6,213 wildfires in the equivalent period in 2021, and around two and a half times the 9,369 for June-August 2020.

Droughts were declared across the country with temperatures reaching a record breaking 40C in some areas. There was a sequence of heatwaves this year as sunseekers swarming to Southsea beach.

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The heat was not pleasant for some, as the Met Office in August issued an amber warning for extreme heat and advice on how to stay safe in the blistering conditions. Drone pictures showed the grass on Southsea Common completely dry and wizened yellow due to the high temperatures.

Mr Avery said despite the challenges caused by the jump in incidents, firefighters were still able to carry out all their duties and not cut any corners. He added: ‘During that time we were also able to maintain our medical response, keeping co-responder cars available to support ambulance colleagues and provide vital care to those who needed us most.’