UK heatwave saw fire calls triple in West Midlands and Staffordshire

About 60 firefighters battled the flames at Lickey Hills Country Park in July 2022

The summer heatwave in 2022 led to a significant increase in calls to the fire services in Staffordshire and the West Midlands, a report said.

Temperatures passed 40C across 18-19 July in the UK and over the two days, the services had about 1,000 calls.

The report, for Birmingham City Council, said the services attended more than 300 incidents.

A similar heatwave from 11-14 August saw 2,909 calls with firefighters sent to 964 incidents.

The report, from the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, said they would usually received up to 300 calls across a two-day period.

During the soaring temperatures in July 2022, West Midlands Fire Service also sent crews to support firefighters tackling at huge fire at Lickey Hills Country Park.

The wildfire was believed to have been caused by a disposable barbecue.

The report is due to be discussed by councillors on Tuesday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.