This is the moment firefighters battle to stop a large field blaze from ripping into homes, as fire chiefs warn the weeks of hot, dry conditions have turned Britain into a tinderbox.
Flames leapt through three fields in Cambridgeshire over the weekend, as the country braced for soaring 35C temperatures this week amid the fourth heat wave of the year.
Footage shows the fire spreading through a large arable field near the village of Peakirk, leaving swathes of scorched earth behind.
Thick smoke can be seen forming large plumes in the sky and blowing among a nearby village.
Some 35 firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze, with Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade first on the scene at around 3:30pm on Saturday.
There were fears the flames would blow over to houses and allotments across the fields.
Anthony Gould, the brigade’s chief officer, said: ‘We were kind of in the thick of it, it was hard work for everyone involved.’
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, which supplied the bulk of the response, said it was called out to 20 fires within a few hours over the weekend.
Thick plumes of smoke formed over burning fields near Peakirk, Cambridgeshire
Firefighters doused the burning vegetation with their hoses, stopping it from blowing towards houses
Around 50 of its crew attended another field fire on Sunday in Whittlesey – with Group Commander James Ball warning farmland blazes were one of the biggest risks during the hot weather.
Officials are already on edge after watching the devastating fires spread through France and Spain – and fire chiefs have warned there is a risk of wildfires over here as well.
A National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) spokesperson said: ‘Fire and rescue services have already faced significant pressure this summer, responding to wildfire incidents during prolonged spells of warm and dry conditions.
‘With the potential for further hot weather ahead, services remain prepared and ready to respond.’
They called for Brits to be extra cautious with anything that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues and cigarettes.
At the height of the third heatwave in mid-July, firefighters were battling 19 significant wildfires simultaneously in England and Wales.
Since then, a major fire has burned for two weeks in the Cairngorms, with nine fire engines and 75 firefighters still at the scene near Nethy Bridge on Monday.
Amber health alerts have this week been issued to reflect the danger of the short, sharp burst of heat, alongside warnings for Brits to avoid sitting under trees, in case of falling branches.
South-east England will see the most extreme temperatures, peaking on Wednesday when the mercury is expected to climb into the mid-30s.
Amber health alerts kick in at 9am on Wednesday for the South East, East, and East Midlands, and are set to last for 24 hours.
A woman sunbathes on the scorched grass in Wimbledon Park over the weekend
Grafham Water, a reservoir in Cambridgeshire, has dried up considerably under the heat
Scorched fields at Bramcote Hills Park in Nottingham, where a dedicated wildfire unit was set up last week
Eight water companies have enforced hosepipe bans to protect the supply, after usage increased by up to 30 per cent on the hottest days this July.
Six areas, five of which are in north Wales, have announced they are experiencing drought conditions – while another eight are at risk.
Meanwhile, yellow health alerts will be activated in the South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber from 9am on Wednesday – also to last for 24 hours.
But the forecast presents a split picture, with the northerly half of the country – including Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England – escaping the extreme heat and any health alerts.
Temperatures are expected to cool slightly from Friday, though the south will remain slightly warmer than the average for this time of year.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Gregory Wolverson said of this week’s weather: ‘This is a short-lived spell of heat, but temperatures will climb quickly through the first half of the week, particularly in the southeast.
‘By Wednesday, some areas could see temperatures in the mid-30°Cs, and while the heat will not be widespread across the whole of the UK, it will be enough for parts of the southeast to likely meet official heatwave criteria by Thursday.
‘Elsewhere, the weather will be more changeable, and the change to cooler, more unsettled conditions will arrive sooner from the north and west, with a mix of sunshine and showers.
A large wildfire has burned in the Cairngorms national park in northern Scotland for two weeks
The blaze in Scotland was declared a ‘major incident’ with more than 500 firefighters deployed to battle the flames
‘Across northern areas, it is possible there will be heavier showers with a small risk of isolated thunderstorms through the week.’
If heatwave conditions are met, as forecasters expect, it will mark the fourth time this year.
This month has been especially hot, with the Met Office recording a mean temperature so far of 17.5C – which is second only to July 2006, when it was 17.8C.
The Met Office has also said UK heatwave thresholds will need to be adjusted to account for the consistently high temperatures caused by the warming climate, after records have been broken consistently this year.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said that heatwave thresholds for some counties rose by a degree four or five years ago.
‘Going forward they’ll need to be adjusted to take into account… current climate, otherwise we’re going to more frequently go into heatwaves. It’s a moveable thing, really, as we go through a warming world,’ he added.
It comes as blazes have wrought destruction in mainland Europe this week, with 220,000 forced out of their homes in south-west France and 116,000 evacuated in Spain.
In Bordeaux, an ‘apocalyptic’ fire has grown so large that it is generating its own thunderstorms, with 38C (100F) heat threatening to fan the flames of the terrifying blaze.
French firefighters battle a wildfire spreading in Marcheprime, south-western France, July 26 2026
Smoke from a wildfire spreading on Cap Ferret peninsula is seen over a pine forest in Lege Cap-Ferret, south-western France, July 24 2026
In what represents one of the most devastating events in the country since the Second World War, more than 240 properties have been completely destroyed – many thought to be holiday homes owned by millionaire Parisiennes.
The inferno, which started on July 12 in forests on Cap Ferret, has been steadily approaching Bordeaux ever since, because of the strong winds which have been fanning the flames westwards.
And the return of searing temperatures this week threatens to complicate firefighting efforts.
Emmanuel Macron said on a visit to the wine-making capital: ‘The coming weeks will be tough and we have to hold out.’
