This is the scene in a small village after a fire ripped through it, destroying a number of homes this afternoon.
Aerial pictures have revealed the condition of Wennington, East London, after temperatures hit 40c on day two of a national heatwave.
It comes as a number of fires have been reported in the North East since temperatures rose above 30c on Monday.
Read more: Northumbrian Water issues urgent warning to residents in the North East
Meanwhile, Northumbrian Water and Yorkshire Water have issued statements and warnings amid high water usage due to the extreme heat.
But down in the capital, London Fire Brigade (LFB) has declared a major incident due to “a huge surge” in blazes across the capital.
Read more: Hot weather: North East postcodes without power
Around 100 firefighters have been tackling a blaze in the village of Wennington, east London, with television footage showing black smoke billowing into the air.
Meanwhile, a number of homes and fields are on fire.
The fire brigade said in a statement it is battling “several significant” incidents in the capital, as people have been urged not to have barbecues or bonfires due to the “unprecedented” challenges crews face.
Freya Gutteridge, 23, a local who works nearby at Rainham House, said "I noticed the fire in Wennington when I went to lunch at two and since then our whole office has just been watching everywhere we look there's a new one.
"We're all really worried the wind is strong and we're seeing on the news that loads of houses are on fire and there aren't enough fire engines."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said LFB is under “immense pressure”.
LFB’s assistant commissioner for operational resilience and control, Patrick Goulbourne, said: “The brigade remains ready to respond to incidents.
“However, we want to ensure our resources are available for people who really need our help.
“If you see a fire smouldering, please don’t hesitate to call us.
“The sooner we know about a fire, the sooner we can bring it under control and prevent it from spreading further, reducing the need for us to mobilise additional resources.
“We are also strongly urging people not to have barbecues or bonfires today as the ground is incredibly dry, which means even the smallest sparks could cause a fire.
“Please take care during the heatwave as all emergency services are facing unprecedented challenges.”
Mr Khan said on Twitter: “London Fire Brigade has just declared a major incident in response to a huge surge in fires across the capital today.
“This is critical: @LondonFire is under immense pressure.
“Please be safe. I’m in touch with the Commissioner and will share updates when I have them.”
In Tyne & Wear, the fire service last night said it had received more than 100 calls following reports of fires in the area.
We are very busy this evening 🔥🚒
— Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (@Tyne_Wear_FRS) July 18, 2022
In the last two hours we have had a massive 1️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ calls, including this grass fire in #Scotswood 📸
Many of these are small fires with low risk to the public but have been exacerbated due to the weather.
🧵Thread🧵 pic.twitter.com/qPV0oYc2tP
Following a significant fire in Scotswood, the fire service added: "You can see from the picture the scale of the damage but thankfully nobody was injured.
"Six appliances attended and the fire is largely under control - we remain to ensure it doesn't reignite. There has been a lot of smoke so keep your doors and windows closed."
Thankfully in the North East, there have not been any reports of a fire on the level seen in London.
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