London mayor: Heat wave brings surge in number of city fires

The mayor of London says a heat wave that has brought temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) is causing a “huge surge” in the number of fires in the city.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Tuesday the fire service is under “immense pressure”.

The blazes include a grass fire in Wennington on the eastern edge of the city that is being tackled by 100 firefighters.

The London Fire Brigade said it had declared a “major incident,” which means it can call on resources from other emergency services.