Heatwave: More than 2,300 calls to West Yorkshire firefighters yesterday including Calderdale garden centre blaze

There were 2,322 calls taken by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's control team over the 24 hours.

That included 1,253 emergency 999 calls.

Crews were called to 275 incidents. These included a blaze at popular Todmorden garden centre Gordon Rigg Garden, Home and Leisure, on Rochdale Road, at 5.20am yesterday and house fire in Boothtown, Halifax at 8.35pm.

The garden centre fire damaged an office and the garden centre is open as usual.

Firefighters say the risk of fires is still high as the weather continues to stay warm, and are urging people to enjoy the sunshine but safely.

Dave Walton, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the unprecedented numbers of fires sweeping the whole of the UK yesterday was a “wake-up” call.

He warned the situation yesterday will not be a one off and we need to get prepared now.

“Yesterday was a game changer and took us to a completely new level," he said. "Fires were spreading much more quickly than ever before.

“Usually when a big fire happens, you can call on neighbouring fire services to help, but not yesterday. Everyone was busy and completely stacked out.

"This tells us we need a fundamental rethink how we resource our fire and rescue service nationally, so we can be prepared for this.

“The predictions are we will get heatwaves like this much more regularly, even as much as every three years, due to climate change. This is very different position we are in now compared to a one-off event nearly 50 years ago, and we need to see this as a wake-up call.

“We need to learn how we get prepared as a country for this and how we rethink the resource we have, or need going forward, so we are ready for these so homes, property and ultimately people’s lives are saved.”

Several fire services across the country, including London and some in Yorkshire, were forced to call a major incident due to issues they were experiencing.

While this did not happen in West Yorkshire, DCFO Walton revealed it was close.

“Fortunately, we didn’t see the big sweeping moorland fires we have tackled in the past, but that was luck more than anything.

“We did however have smaller grassland fires, and this could easily have sparked a bigger situation given the conditions.

“Those who were fighting the fires everywhere yesterday were extraordinary, and I know the public are extremely grateful for everything they were doing, which was particularly exhausting in the stifling heat.

"Our thanks also need to go to our support staff, especially control staff who were experiencing unprecedented level of calls.

“Thankfully no one has yet died from the fires across the country yesterday, but it so easily could have been a different story today.”

He is urging people to be vigilant and to phone fire on 999 if they see anyone using a barbecue in open areas or causing any other anti-social behaviour.

“We are all aware now that these things are dangerous and so there is no longer an excuse to be using barbecues – especially disposable ones – out in the open countryside where they could spark a fire. They are banned on moorlands already and you will be prosecuted if seen using one.”