NORTH YORKSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service received 172 emergency calls yesterday (July 19) as the county battled a heatwave.

The fire service declared a major incident as temperatures soared to a record breaking 40C in North Yorkshire.

Today (July 20), the service has stood down this major incident.

During yesterday’s events firefighters responded to 57 of the 172 calls.

Six of these incidents required more than four appliances, with the largest incident requiring nine appliances in total.

Following yesterday’s events North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have issued guidance to the public on how to prevent fires.

The guidance states:

  • Only use barbeques in designated areas and never on grassland
  • Take all litter home, especially used barbeques and glass bottles
  • Don’t throw away used cigarettes – ensure they are disposed of appropriately
  • Take extreme caution when swimming in open water and never enter waters under the influence of alcohol or encourage others to do so

In a statement on Facebook, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support during this extremely testing time.

“From our partner agencies who were read to step up and support us if needed, to you, our followers for your encouraging message, it truly meant a lot.

“Many people opened their doors and offered refreshments and facilities to our crews on the ground, including a local primary school and a supermarket, and we are extremely grateful for this.

“A number of our firefighters have talked this morning about the stresses and strains they felt yesterday but also how the North Yorkshire community pulled together to help.”