Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the figures show how much of an “additional burden is placed on the NHS during periods of extreme heat,” and said the NHS must plan for summer pressures in a similar way to winter.
A total of 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which matches last year’s record.
In the New Forest, a team of 130 firefighters battled a wildfire that has affected an area roughly the size of 230 football pitches, authorities said.
Multiple fires were later raging across the West Midlands.
About 100 firefighters were deployed tackle a huge grass fire near Stourbridge Golf Course, with flames said by witnesses to be spreading across roads in some places.
West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) confirmed six homes were affected by the fire, and two people were injured.
Homes in Castle Vale, Birmingham, were badly damaged by a fire with one woman reported to have suffered serious injuries, according to WMFS.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident due to a “large fire” at Tothall Lane, Salford Priors, near Alcester.
More blazes were reported in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, and Pershore in Worcestershire.
The UK is facing increasingly extreme conditions such as heatwaves, drought and wildfires fuelled by climate change.
Additional reporting by Gabriela Pomeroy.
