Global InformationWennington wildfire information
| Wennington wildfire | |
|---|---|
 Destroyed houses burning on the day of the fire | |
| Date(s) | 19 July 2022 13:00 – 21:47 (GMT) |
| Location | Wennington, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°30′22″N 0°13′08″E / 51.5061°N 0.2189°E |
| Statistics[1][2] | |
| Burned area | 20 ha (49 acres) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Evacuated | 90 families |
| Map | |
  Location of the fire in Greater London | |
The Wennington wildfire was a wildfire that took place in Wennington, east London, on 19 July 2022 during the 2022 United Kingdom heatwave. No-one was killed, but the wildfire destroyed about 18–19 houses, including all the possessions of many residents.[3] One resident said her house burned down "within two minutes".[4][5]
The wildfire began when a compost heap spontaneously combusted.[6] It took place on the hottest day since British records began,[7] and has been described as an indication of the threat posed by global warming in the UK,[8][9] a country in which wildfires have historically been rare and mostly seen on isolated grassland and moorland areas rather than in urban areas.[10][11][12]
- ^ Gillespie, Tom; Drummond, Michael (20 July 2022). "UK's hottest-ever day leaves charred remains of homes and cars – and 'danger isn't over'". Sky News. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Sawer, Patrick; Southworth, Phoebe; Lewis, Lauren (19 July 2022). "'We grabbed the tortoise and left': Wennington villagers flee as their homes go up in flames". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Patrick, Holly. "Heatwave: Wennington resident says family 'lost everything' after house burns down". The Independent. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Vinter Banfield-Nwachiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Heap, Tom. "The UK village devastated by wildfire – and why residents fear it could happen again". Sky News. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Sawer Telegraphwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Carrington, Damian (19 July 2022). "Day of 40C shocks scientists as UK heat record 'absolutely obliterated'". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Beament, Emily. "Blazes a 'wake-up call' on climate change, firefighters warn after record heat". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Palange, Alessandra (29 July 2022). "Opinion: My uncle's house burned down in the heatwave – so I made this vow". The Independent. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Blackettwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Elliott, Suzanne (20 July 2022). "Why we will see more devastating wildfires in the UK and how they start". ITV News. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ Blakeley, Rhys (21 July 2022). "Wennington fire: UK needs to increase public awareness of safety". The Times. Retrieved 28 January 2023.