The British government sent an emergency alert to millions of mobile phones across England and Wales on Friday evening, warning of a serious national wildfire risk and imposing an immediate temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, after a week of devastating blazes destroyed homes and pushed this year's incident count past the previous record of 1,017.
Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh said Friday's message was the most extensive use of the UK's emergency alert system in response to an active incident. The siren-toned alert urged recipients not to light barbecues, campfires or fireworks and to report fires immediately. Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged the public to take the warning seriously as the country endures its fifth heatwave, with temperatures reaching 38.1°C at Kew Gardens and over 70% of England in drought. Fire services declared 11 major incidents in the past 24 hours.
About 100 military personnel were deployed in south Wales, with 100 more expected Friday evening. Communities Secretary Angela Rayner announced a summit with fire chiefs and unions to review future wildfire response. The extreme heat also derailed two trains in 24 hours, which Network Rail called an exceptional challenge.