Four years ago a wildfire destroyed 18 village homes on the hottest day ever recorded in the UK, when temperatures hit 40.3°C.
On Saturday, two miles from the scene of the “apocalyptic” devastation inflicted on Wennington in 2022, dozens of residents were again forced to evacuate, some clutching pets, as a grassland blaze threatened houses in Rainham.
Around 70 firefighters battled flames from gardens after the wildfire came within 50 yards of homes in the east London suburb.
Shorts
It had swept down from an adjacent country park, incinerating around 10 acres of land on Ingrebourne Hill as Britain’s searing hot summer fuel continues to fuel tinderbox conditions.
