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Horrifying footage showing the aftermath of a fire that broke out during the sweltering heatwave shows a street left looking like a "warzone" as people's homes have been gutted by the blaze.
Houses were destroyed and cars blown out following the blaze in Dagenham, Kent, yesterday (Tuesday, July 19) at around 2.42 pm, as temperatures climbed to up to 40C.
Residents were forced to flee their homes, which were quickly engulfed in flames. The street is now completely deserted.
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In a clip that was shared on Facebook, a man was heard comparing the scene to a "f***ing warzone" as he pans around the estate.
Sky News Correspondent Matthew Thompson also shared a clip of the scene on Twitter as he described it as "post-apocalyptic."
He tweeted: "The aftermath of the fires in Dagenham yesterday. It’s genuinely like something from a post-apocalyptic film."
Reports say around eight acres of parkland were destroyed in the fire with two people, a man and a woman, being taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The family homes have been left as warped, charred shells – completely stripped back to the foundations and cars on the street have been blackened by the ash, with their windows smashed.
Furniture and other belongings were also destroyed in the fire with some charred remains seen in the wreckage.
In the gardens, plants have been burned down to the roots and sheds and outbuildings also didn't survive the flames. Anything that remains as firefighters put out the remaining pockets of flames has been left covered in soot.
Fifteen fire engines and 100 firefighters attended the scene and around 135 residents from the area were evacuated, according to My London.
Borough Commander Paul McClenaghan, who was at the scene, said: "Crews initially attended a significant grass fire which involved multiple seats of fire and also affected a range of buildings and a workshop.
"As firefighters were tackling that blaze, the fire was creating additional hotspots of fire which affected sheds and further nearby properties.
"A number of properties were evacuated on both sides of the road."
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It comes as London Fire Brigade (LFB) had one of the most difficult days in its recent history as it battled over a dozen wildfires on the hottest day ever. It declared a major incident as it struggle to cope with the heatwave.
Temperatures in the UK surpassed 40C yesterday (July 19) for the first time in history, and emergency services were receiving an unprecedented number of emergency calls.
Firefighters are still unaware of the full extent of the damage caused by blazes which affected houses, schools and churches across London, with crews describing scenes as “absolute hell”. Residents were being evacuated from their homes and people were rushed to hospital.
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