A major incident has been declared after a huge fire broke out in a London park, forcing people to be evacuated from their homes.
Firefighters issued a ‘shut your windows’ warning to local residents in Dagenham this evening following a grass fire in Beam Parklands Country Park, which has since spread to surrounding shrubland and trees. London Fire Brigade crews from Dagenham, Hornchurch, Wennington, Romford, and other stations in the area are at the scene.
It comes after a weekend heatwave saw temperatures soar into the 30s across the UK.
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Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Photograph shows where fire is believed to have started
One photograph from earlier this evening shows a patch of grass ablaze in the spot where the fire is thought to have started.
It’s since spread to cover a larger area of around eight hectares, including Beam Parklands Country Park and some surrounding resdiential areas.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Wildfire ‘beaters’ being used to tackle blaze
Firefighters are also using beaters to try and stop the fire from spreading this evening.
This is a special tool comprising of a long handle with a flat piece of rubber at the end.
It’s used to ‘beat’ the oxygen from the flames in order to cool them down, and is regularly deployed in countries where wildfires are more common.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Firefighters using specialist wildfire equipment
One of the London Fire Brigade’s new off-road wildfire response vehicles has been deployed this evening as part of the firefighting effort.
Each vehicle is said to carry approximately 475 litres of water, a backpack blower, ear defenders, beaters and misting lance technology, which allows firefighters to pump water and drive.
The Brigade says it is currently trialling four wildfire response vehicles across the capital.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Billowing smoke turns sky orange
The sky has taken on an orange hue in parts of East London this evening due to the large amount of smoke given off by the wildfire.
A large plume of smoke is also visible for several miles around.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Cause of fire not known
The cause of the fire is not known at this stage, London Fire Brigade said.
