FIRE crews tackled a blaze in a field which erupted after Sussex endured its hottest temperatures ever recorded.

They were at the scene of the fire in Long Furlong, near Worthing, earlier this afternoon, spraying water on the scorched ground.

Temperatures in the county reached 37.6C in the village of Herstmonceux yesterday, breaking a heat record set exactly 16 years ago in Wiggonholt, near Peterborough.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue said: “At 1.43pm this afternoon, we responded to a field fire at Long Furlong, Clapham.

“Joint Fire Control sent one fire engine from Worthing to the scene.

“Crews found approximately 100 square metres of straw alight and firefighters used two hose reels and one thermal imaging camera to extinguish it before leaving the scene at 2.18pm.

“Although temperatures are starting to fall, the ground still remains extremely dry and, as such, there is a very high risk of severe wildfires.

The Argus:

Fire services in London faced their busiest day since the Second World War yesterday, as wildfires devoured homes and the mercury rose above 40C for the first time in the UK.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the London Fire Brigade received more than 2,600 calls, with over a dozen simultaneous fires across the capital.

Some 41 properties were destroyed in London, with a blaze in Wennington devastating two rows of terraced houses and four other homes, as well as outbuildings, garages, stables and cars and affecting 40 hectares of grassland.

The West Sussex Fire Service spokeswoman said it had been “quite lucky” and had not seen as many wildfires as other parts of the country yesterday, with crews called to six grassland fires.

She said: “Wildfires have significant impacts on communities and they can take days to extinguish.

“Therefore we would urge people to avoid having bonfires and barbecues at the present time, ensure that any smouldering materials, such as cigarettes, are completely extinguished before being disposed of, and that litter - especially glass - is taken home.”