Fire services in England and Wales have dealt with a record 996 wildfires so far this year.

The previous high was 994 in 2022, according to the National Resilience programme.

Nineteen of those were in the final three months, so this year's total is expected to top 1,000.

Phil Garrigan, chair of the National Fire Chief Council (NFCC), said the wildfires had tied up crews "for days on end" and taken "a real human toll on the firefighters".

Four summer heatwaves and a lack of rain have helped produce tinderbox conditions in many areas.

Image: A picture of a gamekeeper tackling a fire in Scotland. Pic: SGA

A blaze in Langdale Moor, North Yorkshire, has been one of the most persistent, with the fire burning under peat.

It started on 12 August and was declared a major incident after

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