A support centre has been set up in Hornchurch for people affected by a massive fire in Wennington on the day the UK recorded its hottest temperature ever.
Residents lost their homes and possessions after a huge fire ripped through the east London village on Tuesday, after temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time.
Nineteen homes were destroyed and another 56 buildings were damaged, Havering Council said.
In response, a support centre has been set up in Hornchurch to help those affected by the fire.
Councillor Ray Morgon, leader of Havering Council, said: “I spent the whole day yesterday with residents and cannot begin to describe the unprecedented scenes and traumatic stories I’ve heard.
“Council officers, along with colleagues from the London Fire Brigade, Metropolitan Police and other agencies, continue to work tirelessly to make sure that all the residents that have been displaced by these fires are given the best care and support.
“My heartfelt thanks goes to everyone that’s shown fantastic strength and rallied to help our community at this most difficult time.
“There is much more work to do, and we will continue to support our residents without a moments pause.”
The centre, in the sports hall at Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre in Hornchurch, will offer housing, finance and money support, health and mental health services and educational therapists.
It will be open on Thursday from 9.30am to 12pm initially.
Fifteen fire crews and 100 firefighters were called to battle the blaze, as the London Fire Brigade (LFB) declared a major incident following a “huge surge” in fires across the capital.
On Wednesday, the LFB said it had its busiest day since the Second World War, with the service taking 2,670 calls.
One resident, Claire Taylor, 40, told how she lost everything apart from her grandfather’s ashes, some photos and clothes in the fire.
Her family was one of around 90 to be evacuated in Havering, and while residents sought to rescue pets and salvage belongings some were forced to flee largely empty-handed.
Ms Taylor, who works in a charity shop, said residents who had lost their homes were still in shock but “trying to muddle through”.
Although the devastation is still “raw”, her focus has turned to collecting donations and helping children affected by the fire, she said.
Her family – including her own sons, Charlie, Alfie and Louie, aged eight, six and one respectively – stayed with loved ones on Tuesday evening before heading to school on Wednesday for the last day of term.
“This should be the start of the six weeks’ holiday. It should be all exciting,” she said.
“We know we’re not the only ones in that situation, so if I can try and get some awareness out there – to let them know there is somewhere they can take stuff, like cots and buggies, to make someone’s life a little bit easier, to put a smile of their little kiddies’ faces – that would mean the world to me.”
Meanwhile, Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, warned the fires in his constituency were unlikely to be a one-off due to climate change.
“The evidence suggests this is not a one-off. It’s going to be a recurring feature of modern life given the escalating climactic conditions,” he said.
The UK recorded a new provisional high temperature of 40.3C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on Tuesday, outstripping the previous record set in Cambridge in 2019 of 38.7C.
