Wildfires erupted along the A2 motorway Tuesday in Dartford, just outside of London, the latest disaster as the country battles its hottest summer on record.
Footage of the fire, shared on Twitter by BAFTA-winning comedian Jolyon Rubinstein, shows at least two firetrucks along the engulfed embankment. Fires are reportedly breaking out across the country as temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius/104 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in modern history, according to LBC, a London-based radio station.
This fire is only visible to WOKEIES. If you can see this then you are WOKE & hate this country. pic.twitter.com/HCtwCAjG14
— Jolyon Rubinstein 🇺🇦 (@JolyonRubs) July 19, 2022
Roughly 90 firefighters were called out to tackle the blaze along the A2, which started just outside of the London city area in Dartford, Kent, according to ITV News. The crews attempted to create a firebreak to stop the spread, but drivers are still encouraged to be cautious as smoke limits visibility in the area, the outlet continued.
Wildfires by the A2 in Dartford. But I can probably only see them because I’m “Woke”. pic.twitter.com/08jWwbqueT
— Jolyon Rubinstein 🇺🇦 (@JolyonRubs) July 19, 2022
Another major fire started in Wennington, where multiple homes caught fire, according to LBC. London Fire Brigade declared the situation a “major incident” as 15 engines and 100 firefighters were called to the scene, the outlet noted. (RELATED: ‘The Runway Has Melted’: UK Is Falling Apart In Record Heatwave)
At least 12 fires broke out throughout the greater London area on what is the country’s hottest day on record, My London reported. An additional grass fire in East London saw 175 firefighters mobilized and 30 engines responding, the outlet noted.
Britain issued its first ever “Red Extreme” heat warning Sunday as the nation braced for temperatures seen almost daily in parts of the United States, but which have never been felt in modern human history in the UK. The typically-rainy archipelago was so unprepared for actual warm weather that runways melted at some Royal Air Force bases.