BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent has issued a wildfire warning after revealing that smoke from the blazes entered her own home. During Tuesday's broadcast, she told co-presenter Jon Kay: "I live quite a long way out of Manchester but there was smoke in my house last night. It travels ever such a long way, this is what you don't realise, it does travel miles."
Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
Parts of the UK are facing heightened wildfire risks as a record-breaking heatwave continues, with amber and yellow heat health alerts in place. Firefighters have been tackling numerous blazes across England and Wales, with dry and hot conditions creating ideal circumstances for fires to spread rapidly. Strong winds have carried smoke from moorland fires into urban areas, including Manchester city centre, leaving a haze across the city.
Natural England has warned of an exceptional risk of fires over the next few days, with no significant rainfall forecast for at least a week.
Fire Chief Urges Vigilance
During the segment, Sally and Jon spoke to Phil Garrigan, a spokesperson from the National Fire Chiefs Council, and farmer Gareth Wyn Jones. Fire Chief Phil reported that approximately 19 wildfires were still ongoing. He urged the public to take precautions: "We want people that go outside to be incredibly vigilant now. We don't want them to stray into really vulnerable parts of the rural community, but also in urban areas as well. It inadvertently can cause problems for the Fire and Rescue Service, through discarding cigarettes or disposable barbeques. Now is not the time to expose the countryside to that risk."
He also advised people to close windows and doors to protect against smoke, despite the heat, until the fires dissipate.
Farmer Reports Devastation
Gareth Wyn Jones, star of The Family Farm, shared his experience of the wildfires affecting his land. After a "difficult last few days" with fires in the mountain range surrounding his farm, he reported a loss of nearly 300 acres of farmland, causing significant devastation. He warned: "Just be careful, because it causes devastation to the farmers, to the wildlife and to the environment."
Sally expressed distress at the images of the fires, saying: "These pictures are really distressing to watch."
Firefighters Under Pressure
A firefighter from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service discussed the challenges of fighting fires on difficult terrains, noting that he expected to be tackling the blazes for several days until they were under control. Fire Chief Phil added: "Firefighters across the UK are under extreme pressure, they're dealing with significant numbers of incidents on a daily basis, with no real respite. If you look at the forecast into this week and early next, there doesn't seem to be any rain forecast and that becomes more and more problematic and the problem is exacerbated."
BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer.
