Getty ImagesCrews who fought a number of wildfires across London that destroyed more than 40 properties as heatwave temperatures soared have described the conditions as "absolute hell".
A major incident was declared on Tuesday when more than a dozen fires broke out across the capital.
One resident, Tim Stock, whose home was destroyed, likened it to the Blitz, saying it was "like a warzone".
London Fire Brigade said it was its busiest day since World War Two.
Sixteen firefighters suffered heat-related injuries and two were taken to hospital, said LFB's assistant commissioner Jonathan Smith. He described conditions as "unprecedented".
Off-duty firefighters volunteered to work as the service was pushed to extremes.
Two of the largest wildfires broke out in Upminster and the village of Wennington, both in east London, where black smoke billowed into the air and flames destroyed buildings and left nearby fields charred.
A firefighter at the scene in Wennington described the conditions as "absolute hell", while local people affected by the blaze said it had been spreading "fast".
Many villagers there were left stranded when the fires, first seen in gardens, tore through rows of houses.
Mr Stock said: "Down the actual main road, all the windows had exploded out, all the roofs had caved.
"It's heart-breaking really. I mean, I've been there 41 years but my grandad was there before me, so we've been there 60-odd years," he told the BBC. "And to see it all fall apart yesterday, it's really sad."
'Gutted, totally gutted'
In Dagenham, a wildfire that began on grassland also destroyed and damaged a number of houses and vehicles.
Two people were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke, with the full number of casualties unknown.
Dawn Andrews, whose home off Main Street was destroyed, told BBC London she was "Gutted, totally gutted".
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She said she believed a fire from a nearby field had spread to some gardens.
"One of the houses had gas cylinders in the garden, they blew up, took the rest of the houses out. It just spread like wildfire.
"My daughter was born there, I've been there for nearly 27 years," she said.
"I'm gutted, I don't know what I'm going to do now.
"You don't expect this to happen in real life."
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said it "really was a stretch yesterday" for London's fire service. He said 41 properties had been destroyed across the capital and proximity to grass had been a contributory factor.
"Unfortunately, in London many properties are next to green spaces, which is a good thing the vast majority of the time.
"The downside is that in this exceptional weather, we have situations where fires can start easily and spread even faster."
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He added: "We got through it because of the great work of the fire service, but we can't afford to have more of these days.
No barbecues
"That's why it's so important to adapt, make sure we're ready, but also to stop things happening by tackling climate change."
He said firefighters, along with other public service workers, needed "decent pay" to keep numbers up.
Mr Khan went on to ask people not to have barbecues in any location and not to jump into rivers, canals or other open water.
Analysis
Tom Edwards, BBC London Environment Correspondent
These fires have turned into yet another climate change wake-up call for policy-makers.
A recent report for The Royal Society found the issue of wildfires had, until recently, been "overlooked".
The insurance industry wants planners to carefully consider when building homes close to areas susceptible to fire, and for any such areas to have fire management plans in place.
It also wants better planning around tree planting - slower growing broadleaf species, it says, are less flammable.
More public education around the risks of barbecues and cigarettes could also help.
The London Fire Bridge wants a total ban on disposable barbecues.
Could policies used in other countries, such as vegetation controls or fire-breaks be introduced?
According to the London Plan, the mayor's development strategy for the capital, managing risks of fires resulting from extreme weather, should feature in building proposals.
But, if as predicted we are going to get more intense frequent heatwaves, we will see more wildfires - and many want more robust policies to deal with them.
On Tuesday, the London Fire Brigade deployed:
- Thirty fire engines and 175 firefighters to a grass fire on Pea Lane in Upminster, where smoke billowed over the M25 motorway
- Twelve engines to Uxbridge Road in Pinner to tackle a fire involving garden fencing and trees
- Ten engines to a restaurant fire on Green Lanes in Southgate, where about 70 firefighters were at the scene - the building was destroyed and a woman was taken to hospital
- Eight engines to a grass fire on Oaks Road, Croydon
- Fifteen engines to a grass fire on Ballards Road, Dagenham
- Twelve engines to a fire at The Broadway, Wembley
- Six engines to a grass fire on Sunningfields Crescent, Hendon
- Four engines to a grass fire over an area of about one hectare (2.5 acres) of woodland and undergrowth on Chapel View in Croydon
- Four engines to a fire on Sidcup Road, Eltham
- Ten fire engines to Hawthorne Avenue, Kenton, where a car wash, two semi-detached houses and nine vehicles were ablaze
All of the fires were successfully brought under control.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke has promised the government will "step in" to help families hit by major fires sparked by the extreme heat.
He did not say specifically what help it might provide to those people without insurance, whose homes or belongings were destroyed.
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