A ‘terrifying’ wildfire tore through a golf club in a celebrity hotspot after ‘one spark from a tractor’ ignited a field in another blaze to ravage drought-hit Britain.
The grounds at Mawgan Porth Golf Club in Cornwall were engulfed in flames on Tuesday afternoon as ten fire engines were called to the scene.
Striking footage shows a huge wall of flame being fanned by winds as dark plumes of smoke smother the sky.
It comes as Britain faces one of its hottest days on record – with temperatures expected to hit 38C (100F).
The Met Office has also extended the area of its rare 15-hour amber ‘extreme heat’ warning – only its second since 2022 – which came into force at 9am this morning.
Locals were ordered to evacuate the area in Mawgan Porth, often described as ‘Hollywood–on–Sea’ because of the many celebrities it attracts, home to the likes of Cate Blanchett who owns a major clifftop eco-home in the village.
The village is also frequented by Aquaman star Jason Momoa who snapped up a mansion in 2023 and Stanley Tucci – said to rent out a house with his wife Felicity Blunt.
A spokesman for nearby Merlin Farm Holiday Cottages Cornwall revealed the fire started from ‘one spark from a tractor topping a field, after hitting a stone’.
The grounds at Mawgan Porth Golf Club in Cornwall were engulfed in flames on Tuesday afternoon as around ten fire engines were called to the scene
The grounds at Mawgan Porth Golf Club in Cornwall were engulfed in flames on Tuesday afternoon as around ten fire engines were called to the scene
Locals were ordered to evacuate the area – often described as ‘Hollywood–on–Sea’ because of the many celebrities it attracts
Striking footage shows a huge wall of flame being fanned by winds as dark plumes of smoke smother the sky
They added: ‘Just fields away, and within half an hour it led to a full evacuation.
‘It’s a stark reminder of just how vulnerable we are, and how quickly things can change.’
The incident comes amid a record year for wildfires as 1,017 infernos have ravaged England and Wales so far – already as many as there were in the whole of 2025, the previous worst year.
The whole of England is also under a UK Health Security Agency amber heat health alert until tomorrow night, which warns of a ‘rise in deaths’.
Last night firefighters were called to a major blaze in Saddleworth Moor after a fire broke out in Oldham.
People were advised to avoid the area as crews remained on the scene this morning.
The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘Our crews have been tackling a moorland fire near Holmfirth Road in Oldham through the night.
‘Firefighters have made good progress in extinguishing the fire but remain at the scene damping down and monitoring hotspots. Please avoid the area while emergency services respond to the incident.
‘A road closure is in place on Holmfirth Road in both directions between Dovestone and Greenfield reservoirs.’
Firefighters are tackling a major blaze in Saddleworth Moor. The fire broke out near Holmfirth Road in Oldham overnight
People were advised to avoid the area as crews remained on the scene this morning
One witness said: ‘Huge fire at Saddleworth Moor tonight, we saw and phoned the emergency services at 10.30pm, fire brigade arrived about 11pm. Approximately 7 fire engines there when we left and the road had been closed in both directions due to the fire being so close to the road.’
Following Tuesday’s incident in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service warned of a ‘significant smoke plume’, urging members of the public to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area.
Residents were also urged to stay away from a nearby solar farm which set alight, though the blaze was later brought under control.
Speaking about the evacuation, a spokesman for Merlin Farm Holiday Cottages Cornwall said: ‘Well, it really is a miracle that the farm escaped completely unscathed after a field fire broke out just a few fields away.
‘With the heat and strong winds, within just half an hour the fire had spread incredibly quickly and dangerously towards the farm. At around 3:30pm, we were told to evacuate.
‘I felt so emotional having to leave our home, but my focus had to be on keeping it together, contacting all of our guests, making sure everyone was evacuated and keeping them updated.’
Residents reportedly ‘got the news they had been desperately hoping for’ at around 7pm – that none of the buildings at Merlin Farm had been damaged, and householders could return.
Merlin Farm Holiday Cottages Cornwall thanked Mawgan Porth Golf Club for ‘letting us camp out there and for keeping us supplied with drinks’.
A spokesman added: ‘It’s hard to put into words the relief and gratitude we feel.
‘A terrifying few hours, but we are incredibly thankful to the firefighters and a brave neighbour who helped keep the farm and everyone here safe.’
The rest of their proposals includes installing hardwood decking next to the house, a grass driveway with concrete stabilisation from Greenstones pavers, as well as corten and cornish granite steps leading up to the large property
Blanchett and her playwright husband Andrew Upton (pictured) had to resubmit fresh designs for their garden following ecological concerns regarding bats
Mawgan Porth Golf Club said: ‘We just want to say an enormous and very heartfelt thank you to Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service for everything they have done, and continue to do, in dealing with the huge fire near the golf course today.
‘Seeing the scale of the fire so close to us has been incredibly worrying, and there’s no doubt the situation would have been so much worse without the extraordinary efforts of the many crews who have worked tirelessly to bring it under control.
‘Crews are still on site monitoring the situation, and we are incredibly grateful, as are our neighbours, to everyone who has been out there tackling the fire and protecting the surrounding homes, land and businesses.
‘It’s at times like this that you realise just how much we rely on our emergency services.
‘Thank you to every single person involved, and to those who are still there tonight – we really can’t thank you enough.’
A 38C (100F) high today would make it Britain’s joint fifth hottest day on record – tying with that same temperature in Norfolk on June 26, which is the current 2026 high.
It comes as fire chiefs said 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales so far in 2026, the same as the record-breaking total for the whole of last year.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee yesterday in response to the ongoing hot and dry weather.
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: ‘Temperatures could reach highs of around 36C, 37C, possibly 38C.
‘Now when you get these sorts of high temperatures, well that’s when we could see impacts to our infrastructure, our railway lines, our roads, they are not designed for this sort of heat.
‘And more people are likely to be impacted by how hot it is with regards to their health.’
He added: ‘It could be the hottest day of the year so far if we get above 38C, and if we get above 38.5C, well it could be the hottest August day on record, but that’s actually pretty unlikely.’
It comes as Labour’s environmental policies have come under scrutiny amid the soaring heat.
Gamekeepers and farmers traditionally carried out controlled burning of heather and grasses in the cooler months – encouraging new shoots on which grouse and sheep graze.
But last year, the party extended rules preventing the burning on 1.6million acres of land.
Drivers were ordered to abandon their vehicles and walk down the side of the A31 when the fire took hold. There is no suggestion this fire was as a result of rewilding
A blaze near Dunwich Heath in Suffolk previously tore through hundreds of acres of heathland and forced fire chiefs to declare a major incident. There is no suggestion this fire was as a result of rewilding
It says the move, targeted at peatlands, would improve air quality and protect environmental and public health.
Jonathan Roberts, of the Country Land and Business Association, said: ‘Last year was the worst on record for wildfires, yet ministers responded by making it harder for land managers to carry out the controlled burning necessary to stop wildfires taking hold in the warmer months.
‘Government has in effect banned the single–most important method of preventing wildfires, and we are now living with the consequences. Put simply, they must reverse the policy immediately.’
His concerns were echoed by the Countryside Alliance, which said ministers had made a ‘foolish decision’.
‘Moorland communities are facing increasing challenges, the Government having recently more than trebled the area over which the controlled burning of vegetation is effectively banned in our uplands,’ it said.
‘The Countryside Alliance has repeatedly warned that by ignoring the latest scientific evidence, the Government is significantly increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.’
The warnings came as more than 100 firefighters tackled a major blaze in the New Forest that has raged for four days.
Numerous other fires around the country have stretched resources, with crews in South Wales yesterday describing ‘carnage’ as they battled seven separate blazes, some of which they believe were set maliciously.
Andy Burnham last night called on shops to stop selling disposable barbecues, which he said were behind many of the blazes. He hinted at a summertime ban in the future.
