Residents whose village homes were destroyed in a wildfire on the UK’s hottest day ever fear tinder-dry grassland and recent blazes just a mile away risk turning their lives upside down again.
Eighteen houses were razed to the ground in Wennington, east London, as 40.2°C heat fanned flames that swept across grassland and incinerated properties on 19 July, 2022.
Families were forced to flee as walls of flame engulfed homes, with fire leaping across the main road through the village in the borough of Havering.
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Stunning solar eclipse dazzles Europe – in pictures
Caption: PALENCIA, SPAIN – AUGUST 12: A total solar eclipse is seen on August 12, 2026 in Palencia, Spain. It was the first time a total solar eclipse, when the sun is blocked by the moon’s orbit, could be viewed from Spain since 1905. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Photographer: Leon Neal
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
From Aberdeen to Penzance, from Aberystwyth to Hull, skywatchers were out in force yesterday to see the best solar eclipse in a generation.
In pictures
Caption: CADIZ, SPAIN – AUGUST 12: The Moon crosses in front of the Sun during a solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 in Cadiz, Spain. It was the first time a total solar eclipse, when the sun is blocked by the moon’s orbit, could be viewed from Spain since 1905. (Photo by Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images)
Photographer: Pablo Cuadra
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Pablo Cuadra
Caption: TOPSHOT – The Sun’s corona glows as the Moon completely blocks the Sun during the totality phase of the total solar eclipse as seen from Arenal beach in Llucmajor, on the Balearic island of Mallorca, on August 12, 2026. Millions of Europeans contemplated the sky in awe today during a rare total solar eclipse that will plunge a swathe of Spain into an eerie daytime darkness. The shadow cast when the Moon covers the Sun began in Russia’s remote Arctic north at around 1700 GMT and continued in an arc through Greenland and Iceland. Spain is where most people viewed the total eclipse, which crossed the country diagonally from the northern Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea, where it vanished at around 1830 GMT. (Photo by Jaime REINA / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JAIME REINA
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: The moon partially covers the sun during a solar eclipse over the Prague Castle, as seen from Prague, Czech Republic, August 12, 2026. REUTERS/Eva Korinkova
Photographer: Eva Korinkova
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Source: REUTERS
The spectacle continues
Caption: The Moon partially covers the Sun during the solar eclipse as seen from the sidelines of the European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on August 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: PAUL ELLIS
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Source: AFP
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Caption: The sun over Canary Wharf, London during the solar eclipse, the first total solar eclipse visible over mainland Europe since 1999. Picture date: Wednesday August 12, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
Photographer: Ian West
Provider: Ian West/PA Wire
Source: PA
Caption: The Moon passes in between the Earth and the Sun 7.04pm, during the solar eclipse as seen from King’s Stairs Gardens in Bermondsey, south London, the first total solar eclipse visible over mainland Europe since 1999. Picture date: Wednesday August 12, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire
Photographer: Aaron Chown
Provider: Aaron Chown/PA Wire
Source: PA
A once-in-a-lifetime experience for many
The event sparked huge interest for people across the UK as the Moon covered more than 90 per cent of the Sun.
Molly the dog is held with eclipse glasses over her eyes during the solar eclipse at King’s Stairs Gardens in Bermondsey, south London (Photo: Aaron Chown/PA)
Caption: The diamond ring effect is seen just before totality of the total solar eclipse as seen from Lodoso, Burgos province, on August 12, 2026. Millions of Europeans contemplated the sky in awe today during a rare total solar eclipse that will plunge a swathe of Spain into an eerie daytime darkness. The shadow cast when the Moon covers the Sun began in Russia’s remote Arctic north at around 1700 GMT and continued in an arc through Greenland and Iceland. Spain is where most people viewed the total eclipse, which crossed the country diagonally from the northern Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea, where it vanished at around 1830 GMT. (Photo by Cesar MANSO / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: CESAR MANSO
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Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
It was the first time for many, with the last full eclipse occurring in August 1999. However, eclipse enthusiasts will have to wait until 23 September 2090 for the next one.
A scramble for eclipse glasses
People queue around the block from 6am in Weymouth, Dorset to buy eclipse glasses amid high demand (Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty)
Looking directly at the eclipse with the naked eye, or even sunglasses, can cause permanent damage, so a scramble for eclipse glasses ensued around the country.
Huge queues formed at shops which still had stock left, while many had already sold out and were forced to turn away customers.
weather
Temperatures to hit 38°C as drought fears to continue
A person walking through brown grass at Primrose Hill, north London. Continued dry conditions could mean dangers for wildlife and river health too, experts say (Photo: Ben Whitley/PA)
Sweltering temperatures of up to 38°C are set to hit the UK today.
Amber heat health alerts, which warn of significant impacts to health and social care services, are already in place for all of England until 21:00 on Friday.
The relentless heat means that this summer is likely to be the hottest on record.
A dangerous period of heat
The sweltering temperatures forecast today mark the peak of the UK’s latest heatwave.
Tropical nights, where temperatures fail to drop below 20°C, are also expected as humid air spreads into western areas, which can place additional stress on the body.
Explained
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NEWS
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An extraordinarily dry period
The lack of rain has piled pressure on farming, freight shipping and energy production, after the UK saw its driest July in 190 years.
Caption: This aerial image shows All Saints Church surrounded by the scorched grass on Blackheath in south east London backdropped in the distance by the business district of Canary Wharf, on July 29, 2026. Just over half of England has been declared in drought after “record-low rain and exceptionally high temperatures”, the UK government said on July 29. (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JUSTIN TALLIS
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Caption: BONHILL, SCOTLAND – APRIL 30: Fire fighters bring a wildfire under control on April 30, 2026 in Bonhill, Scotland. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service??(SFRS) and the Scottish Wildlife Forum (SWF) have issued warnings for wildfires across Scotland from Thursday and into the weekend in some regions. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Photographer: Jeff J Mitchell
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
Up to 27 million people find themselves under water-use restrictions and 1,017 wildfires have devastated vegetation across England and Wales so far this year, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council.
Temperature records likely to be beaten
More long-standing temperature records are likely to be broken over the coming days.
Wednesday became the first day in August to reach 35°C or more, making it the 4th consecutive month to reach this temperature.
If temperatures reach 36°C or higher, 2026 will become the first year to record four separate days at or above that threshold.
If temperatures reach 38°C today, there is a chance that the record for the hottest August day, which currently stands at 38.5°C, could be broken.
Provided August temperatures remain average or above for the month, this summer will replace 2025 as the warmest on record.
The heatwave in pictures
Caption: This aerial image shows All Saints Church surrounded by the scorched grass on Blackheath in south east London backdropped in the distance by the business district of Canary Wharf, on July 29, 2026. Just over half of England has been declared in drought after “record-low rain and exceptionally high temperatures”, the UK government said on July 29. (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JUSTIN TALLIS
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Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Caption: The fire near Llangynidr Reservoir, Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, Wales. // The blaze near Llangynidr Reservoir, Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent started on Saturday, and a huge crew have been tackling it since – including a helicopter. It is now deemed a ‘major incident.’ On Sunday morning, the fire had reportedly covered 300 hectares. A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “The wind direction this morning has changed and communities towards Blaenavon, Brynmawr, Pontypool and Newport are affected by the smoke.
Photo released 10/08/2026
Photographer: SWNS
Provider: SWFRS / SWNS
Source: SWFRS / SWNS
Caption: This aerial photograph shows the parched bed of Brenets Lake (Lac des Brenets), part of the Doubs River, a natural border between eastern France and western Switzerland, as central Europe is hit by a new heatwave, in Les Brenets on August 11, 2026. The river has dried up due to a combination of factors, including geological fissures that drain water underground, below-average rainfall and repeated heatwaves. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: FABRICE COFFRINI
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
exclusive
Firefighters call for water bomb aircraft to tackle wildfires
Caption: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 07: Firefighters from Merseyside Fire Brigade look on as an RAF Chinook helicopter lands rescue crews during the UK’s biggest ever rescue exercise on September 7, 2010 in Liverpool, England. The National Urban Search & Rescue Exercise simulated an earthquake and involved brigades across the UK. Part of the simulation included vehicles and people trapped in the Mersey Tunnel. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Photographer: Christopher Furlong
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2010 Getty Images
Firefighters have called for “wildfire-fighting aircraft” to help combat spate of blazes as Britain braces for another heatwave, with temperatures set to rise above 35°C, possibly reaching 38°C.
The ‘dangerous’ scam tricking users into authorising card payments
Concerns have been raised by the consumer group Which? over a “dangerous” scam that tricks victims into authorising card payments.
Caption: A businessman is buying online using his mobile phone and credit card
Photographer: Karl Tapales
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Familiar tactics
Which? warned that scammers may use similar tactics to those used in authorised push payment (APP) scams – where people are manipulated into making a bank transfer.
However, in this scam, victims are instead convinced to approve card payments.
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SAVING AND BANKING
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news
Victims may face difficulty in getting their money back
Caption: Young upset female at table in light apartment with laptop aside looking at credit card and touching forehead realizing internet crime
Photographer: Juan Algar
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
While victims of unauthorised card fraud and APP fraud can generally get their money back, it may be harder for those manipulated into approving card payments.
Which? warned that victims may struggle to claim for payments they have authorised to a legitimate company, as the company has provided the intended services, even though it is part of a chain of fraud.
How to protect yourself from scams
Caption: Embargoed to 0730 Wednesday August 19
File photo dated 30/03/20 of a woman using a laptop. Fraudsters have cashed in on the coronavirus lockdown and exploited the nation’s uncertainty during the pandemic with a flood of scams, figures from Barclays show. PA Photo. Issue date: Wednesday August 19, 2020. Frauds, which could involve anything from travel, social media and investments, went up 66% in the first six months of this year, according to Barclays Bank data on reported scams from January to July 2020. See PA story MONEY Scams. Photo credit should read: Tim Goode/PA Wire
Photographer: Tim Goode
Provider: PA
Source: PA
Never share sensitive information.
If you receive an unexpected call, ring your bank immediately.
MONEY
3 min read
education
Universities at risk of going bust before 2026 freshers finish their degrees
Caption: A rear view of a university graduate in a graduation gown holding a diploma in his hand outside the academic building
Photographer: Olga Dobrovolska
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Some universities are at risk of going bust before 2026 freshers have finished their degrees, experts have warned.
Bankruptcies, mergers and course closures are expected to accelerate from 2030 because of a projected decline in the population of 18-year-olds.
Why are universities struggling?
An immigration crackdown on lucrative oversea students and limits on tuition fees for British students has taken a financial toll on universities.
Photographer: Connect Images/Frank and Helena
Provider: Getty Images/Connect Images
Source: Connect Images
Analysts previously said at least 119 higher education providers, accounting for 43 per cent of the sector, are “struggling financially” because of budget deficits.
Looming mergers
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) think-tank, said that more mergers between institutions will “definitely” happen.
The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent merged in August, while King’s College London and Cranfield University outlined plans to do so in May.
Hillman said it is predicted that over the next five years, student numbers will drop despite a record number of 18-year-olds securing their first choice this year.
The Russell Group of elite universities will likely snap these up and could mean that less prestigious universities lose over 25 per cent of their undergraduate student fee income, according to a report by HEPI.
Courses closing
Mergers and a decline in applications to specialist institutions could see a decline in the number of courses available.
This is already being seen, with around 27,000 courses available in clearing this year, compared to 30,000 reported in previous years, according to Ucas.
EDUCATION
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Watch more from The i Paper
Leading universities are set to drop entry grades for prestigious courses as they battle to recruit students to ease funding pressures. A record number of students are expected to get into their first choice of university this year even if they miss their grades, the head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) said. You can read Alexa’s full article on The i Paper’s website.
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HEALTH
Concern raised over vape fluid chemical – what we know
Caption: young girl smokes a vape close-up on a dark background, women smoke electronic cigarette in street
Photographer: Sergii Kolesnikov
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Pregnant women should be warned of a “potential harm” linked to a common chemical used to flavour vapes, scientists have said.
What you need to know
Vanillin study
Research has found that vanillin, a flavouring in e-cigarettes, could “compromise core processes of early human development”.
Research shows vaping is falling among the young – but nicotine pouches are proving popular, with concerns over their health effects (Photo: John Keeble/Getty)
Close-ip of a cute pregnant belly in natural light, gently held by mother’s hands – stock photo (Photo: Getty)
Pregnancy warning
Mothers-to-be should be alerted to the findings, said study lead Prof Prue Talbot from University of California Riverside.
Vape packaging
The researchers called on regulators to consider mandatory ingredient disclosure on vape packaging.
Rishi Sunak announced a ban on disposable vapes in the UK as part of government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children’s health (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
A closer look at the science
What the US study found
The US scientists exposed embryonic stem cells to vanillin in a series of lab tests.
They found that even low doses, known as nanomolar concentrations, led to the early-stage cells losing the ability to develop.
“Our data predict that nanomolar concentrations of vanillin may reach the embryo in pregnant women who vape,” Prof Talbot said.
What UK experts say
Teenagers are taking up vaping in record numbers (Photo: Yana Iskayeva/Moment RF/Getty)
Marian Knight, professor of maternal and child population health at the University of Oxford, said the study was “well designed”.
However, she noted that the way in which cells were exposed to the vanillin is “very different from how the cells of a developing embryo might come in contact with vanillin”.
POLITICS
4 min read
Caption: Solar eclipse 2025
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Copyright: National Space Centre, Leicester
travel
Caught the eclipse bug? Here’s where to see it next year
If yesterday’s solar eclipse ignited your interest in astronomical phenomena, you’re in luck.
There are more eclipses to come in 2027 and 2028.
What you need to know
On 2 August 2027, a total solar eclipse will cross Southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, with the path of totality lasting up to six minutes and 23 seconds near Luxor, Egypt. In 2028, there will be a total solar eclipse on 22 July crossing Australia and New Zealand.
There will also be annular eclipses on 6 February 2027 and 26 January 2028.
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How often do these events occur?
These events occur somewhere on Earth around every one-to-two years and create a “ring of fire” when the Moon is in front of the Sun, but too far away to block it entirely.
Caption: Solar Eclipse on black sky background
Photographer: Artmim
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Caption: (FILES) People watch a partial solar eclipse??at New Brighton, a coastal suburb of Christchurch, on September 22, 2025. Day will briefly turn into night across a swathe of northern Spain on August 12, when the Moon will completely cover the Sun during a rare total solar eclipse. Here is what you need to know about the total eclipse, which is the first visible in mainland Europe since 2006. (Photo by Sanka Vidanagama / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: SANKA VIDANAGAMA
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Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
The 2027 annular eclipse will be visible along a path crossing South America and Africa, while the 2028 annular eclipse will cross parts of South America, the Atlantic, Europe and Africa.
Where and how to see the 2027 total eclipse
In Spain, the zone of totality will include the province of Cadiz, part of Malaga province, the southernmost areas of the Granada and Almeria provinces and the Strait of Gibraltar.
In North Africa, the eclipse will last up to six minutes and 23 seconds in Luxor, Egypt. Also in the path of totality are parts of Algeria, Gibraltar, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
Couple climbing up the stairs while carrying a boxes into their new apartment – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
HEALTH
How stair walking could slash early death risk
Avoiding escalators or lifts could cut your risk of an early death as well as staving off heart attacks, heart failure and stroke, according to a study.
What you need to know
Unrecognizable university students walking up the stairs to enter university – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Stair study
Choosing the stairs is an “overlooked” way to get daily exercise, found researchers from the University of East Anglia.
Less likely to die
Regular stair climbers were 24 per cent less likely to die from any cause compared with those who don’t use the stairs as often.
Over time, walking a short additional distance each day could make a big difference
A caregiver helps an older woman walk downstairs at home. (Photo: DMP/E+Getty Images)
Heart health
The findings suggest stair climbing may be linked to a fall in heart attacks and stroke.
What scientists say
It’s a good option for people who don’t have much time or easy access to exercise. Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts.
Dr Sophie Paddock of UEA’s Norwich Medical School
Something as simple s using the stairs helps with fitness (Photo: ljubaphoto/Getty/E+)
Why campaigners are encouraged
Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said a stroke was the fourth most common cause of death in the UK.
Bouverie said it was “encouraging that something as simple as taking the stairs could reduce the risk of early death and may also be linked to fewer cardiovascular health problems including strokes”.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
3 min read
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
No more orange juice. (Photo via pixaby)
It’s estimated ultra processed foods make up at least half of the average UK diet (Photo: Getty)
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Caption: Gail’s croissant
Image taken from https://gails.com/collections/breakfast/products/croissant
Croissants
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
It is mostly carbohydrate and without protein or fibre, it is digested quickly, leaving you feeling hungry.
Caption: Toasted bread and white background
Photographer: Daniel Tamas Mehes
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Minden jog fenntartva!
Yakitori’s on the menu at the Japanese restaurant – but what exactly is it? (Photo: Reuters)
Sushi
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Sarawak laksa is one of many varieties of this noodle soup (Photo: Tham Kee Chuan/Getty)
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Pizza
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Best pizza in Britain named – and owner reveals the secret to its success (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
The Government has announced that the sugar tax will be extended to milkshakes (Photo: Scott Suchman)
Smoothies
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
‘Aged 14, I started what I considered to be my own little business selling confectionary,’ writes Beauty Dhlamini (Photo: Getty)
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
Which yoghurts are the best options? (Unsplash)
Caption: BANGKOK, THAILAND – OCTOBER 17: A “KT Herbalist”, a Kratom cocktail made from Kratom, coffee and siamese herbs is seen at Teens of Thailand, a bar in Bangkok’s Chinatown on October 17, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. In April 2021, the start of Thailand’s third and most deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai government banned the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, crippling the already suffering food and beverage industry. With a lack of government aid and support, some bars have shuttered their doors in hopes of reopening post-lockdown, while others shuttered their doors for good. But six months into Thailand’s most recent lockdown, Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, owner of Teens of Thailand, a gin bar located in a renovated shophouse in Bangkok’s Chinatown, decided that instead of waiting for the government to allow the sale of alcohol again, they would take advantage of Thailand’s recent legalization of Kratom. Kratom is a locally grown herbal drug with mild opioid and stimulant effects and was reclassified from a type-5 narcotic to a legal-to-grow herb in August 2021. While Thailand prepares for a tentative reopening on November 1st, the alcohol ban and curfew are set to continue, leaving business owners questioning if the country can revive its suffering tourism industry. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Photographer: Lauren DeCicca
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Alcohol
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
It was one of London Fire Brigade’s busiest days since the Blitz in World War Two with 2,496 calls, 740 relating to wildfires as a ring of flames erupted around the capital’s outer edges.
Many Wennington residents left homeless in 2022 spent more than three and a half years in temporary accommodation as their houses were rebuilt and only moved back earlier this year.
But those who have returned fear ongoing wildfires in Rainham – just a mile away – could also hit Wennington, with concerns grass in land surrounding their houses has been left to grow too high.
Temperatures are tipped to hit 38°C on Thursday and an amber heat warning issued.
The 1,017 wildfires in England and Wales so far this year is already more than in all of 2025. The Prime Minister chaired an emergency Cobra meeting this week about the extreme heat, as he considers a ban on disposable barbecues.
‘We’re at risk of disaster repeating itself’
Nine of the 10 homes on Marine Cottages on Wennington Road were destroyed in 2022, including the property of Ade Aofolaju, 54, and his partner Paula James, 62, who moved back to their rebuilt home in March.
Paula James, who lost her Wennington home in 2022, says the smell of smoke from other wildfires in the area brings back memories of the inferno four years ago (Photo: Joe Duggan)
Mr Aofolaju told The i Paper: “We’re very anxious about the constant field fires in the Rainham area.
“There are quite a few large fields near us on Wennington Road which have not been cut for years so the grass has grown really tall and with the hot weather and no rain, the fields are tinder dry.
“If a fire starts in any of the nearby fields, we would be at risk of the same disaster of 2022 repeating itself.”
Ms James said smoke from grass fires in nearby parts of Havering, which suffers more wildfires than any London borough, reminds them of the 2022 inferno.
‘You can tase the smoke in the morning’
“You wake up in the morning and you can taste it. The blinds are coated,” she said.
“When you can see smoke in the distance it takes you back to when I was coming home from work, driving down the road [in 2022] and you could see the smoke.”
Four years ago, she evacuated her home, grabbing a set of clothes before heading to her mother’s house, where she watched on TV as their home burned down.
Photos of her mother, who died last year, as well as her ring and photos of her partner’s parents, who passed away before the fire, were among precious belongings that went up in flames.
She raised concerns about a lack of firebreaks being cut in land next to their homes, with grass in a field opposite several feet high and bone dry.
Ade Aofolaju,54, and Paula James, 62, lost their home in the Wennington fire but say more must be done to protect their properties from the risk of a another devastating blaze (Photo: Supplied)
Her next door neighbour Lynn Sabberton, 76, recalled how a policeman kicked in her door and told her and her partner, Terry Spencer, who had COPD, to flee their house in 2022.
“When the fire came across this way it hit a lot of those bushes and shrubs and trees and then it came here,” she said.
“It was like, literally a bomb dropped on the place.”
With no car and with her partner unable to walk, they were rescued by Ms James who drove them away.
She said she was concerned about thick grassland continuing to grow on farmland opposite her home, which she says has not been cut.
Anita Holtom, 77, is concerned about how tall the grass has grown on farmland that backs on to her garden in Wennington (Photo: Joe Duggan)
‘Nothing has been done’
Charlotte Hammond, 37, whose house survived the 2022 blaze but whose garden was destroyed, had to escape with her three-year-old son as thick smoke and flames approached their home.
“I was hysterical,” she recalled, but other blazes nearby are now a constant cause of anxiety.
Recurring underground fires at an illegal landfill site in Launders Lane about a mile and a half away have been dubbed the Rainham Volcano, while firefighters have battled wildfires that destroyed acres of land at a country park, Ingrebourne Hill about two miles away.
“Sometimes I do wake up and you get the smell of smoke. Every time you see a bit of smoke, you just think, where’s it coming from? Is it happening again?” Ms Hammond said.
She said “nothing has been done” about the grass on farmland opposite their home, where ruins are all that remains of a farmhouse that burned down in 2022.
Other land to the back of their homes was cut back a few weeks ago, she said.
Charlotte Hammond fled with her three-year-old son when the fire erupted in Wennington in 2022 (Photo: Joe Duggan)
Just along Wennington Road, the 77-year-old Anita Holtom’s home backs onto land where the grass has grown about five feet tall.
She said nearby fires meant they had to “keep the window shut because the smell is so bad here”.
Residents say they have raised concerns about the risk of wildfires with local councillors and MP Margaret Mullane. They want privately-owned land to be made safer.
Ms Mullane, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, said the residents were “quite right to complain”.
“As we go into climate change and the kind of summers we’re having, it seems to be here to stay. So we’re going to have to get a proper structure. We can’t go on like this.”`