Sussex firefighters tackled hundreds of blazes over summer

According to data obtained through a Freedom of Information request, fire crews were called to 580 outdoor fires across the county from June to August as the mercury reached record-breaking levels across the UK - almost four times the number reported over the same period last year.

In August alone, firefighters in Sussex were called to an average of nine such incidents a day.

Some 265 outdoor fires were reported by fire crews in West Sussex over the summer, with 108 in July and 119 in August.

In East Sussex, 317 outdoor fires were reported by the fire service, with 131 in July and 172 in August.

Fire crews across the country battled with wildfires as the region baked in record-breaking heat throughout July and August.

Fires erupted in grassland and fields across the county as temperatures soared

Nearly 25,000 wildfires were reported across England over the summer, with some forces tackling more than 50 wildfires a day at the peak of the heatwave, which saw droughts declared in many areas and temperatures hit 40C for the first time ever in the UK.

More than 800 wildfires were recorded on July 19 alone, the day temperatures peaked at 40.3C in Lincolnshire.

Sussex recorded also its hottest day ever in July as temperatures hit a scorching 37.6C in the village of Herstmonceux.

Figures obtained by PA covered fires recorded in the category "grassland, woodland and crops" in June, July and August.