Nearly 600 fires have been detected across the UK in the last 48 hours as a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues comes into force. NASA satellite data shows more than 580 fire detections across the country during the period, with parts of Wales among the worst affected areas.
Wales records highest fire detections
Powys recorded the highest number, with 166 fire detections, followed by Blaenau Gwent with 113 and Carmarthenshire with 101. The figures come as the Government has introduced a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues amid concerns over the heightened risk of wildfires during the prolonged spell of hot and dry weather.
The Prime Minister called a meeting earlier this week in response to the extreme conditions, with ministers warning disposable barbecues can pose a "significant risk" to the public.
NASA data on fire intensity
NASA satellites detect thermal activity using measurements including Fire Radiative Power (FRP), measured in megawatts, and brightness temperature. According to the data, the most intense fire detection in the UK over the last 48 hours was recorded near Land’s End in Cornwall, reaching 157.26 megawatts in Fire Radiative Power.
South Wales recorded some of the highest brightness temperatures. Several fire detections in Powys and Carmarthenshire reached 93.8C, according to the NASA measurements.
Local incidents and response
The NASA data shows three fire detections in Merseyside over the last 48 hours, appearing to be in the area around Melling in Sefton. On Wednesday, the ECHO reported on a large fire on farmland near Spencers Lane. Six fire engines and an off-road vehicle from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service attended the incident, with firefighters working alongside a farmer who used a tractor to create a fire break and stop the blaze spreading.
The fire service urged people to avoid the area while the incident was being dealt with and advised those living nearby to keep doors and windows closed because of the smoke.
The satellite data represents detected fire activity and thermal anomalies and does not necessarily mean every individual detection was a separate wildfire on the ground.
Extreme heat and government action
The Met Office recorded 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday, making it the second time this year temperatures have reached 38C in the UK. The West Midlands was under an amber warning for extreme heat for much of Thursday, before multiple fires broke out across the region. According to the Press Association, 54 people were treated by paramedics following fires in the West Midlands, with 19 admitted to hospital.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said on Friday morning that it had attended “a number of serious fires” across the region as hot and dry conditions continued.
Speaking earlier this week, Andy Burnham urged people not to use single-use grills amid a “significant problem” of wildfires in the south. During a visit to Stevenage on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said: “You know, the wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable BBQs, that people can take out. I understand why people want to go out and do that. But we need to, in my view, have a situation where we almost just have a temporary ban on those things.”
The Government has now confirmed the temporary ban.
