EXCLUSIVE: “We Have Had Two to Three Fires Every Day” – Havering Fire Chief Reveals the Brutal Reality They Faced This Summer.

28th August 202628th August 2026 Francesca Lilleystone 0 Comments Fire Chief, Havering, London Fire Brigade, Widlfires min read

The Havering Daily has spoken exclusively to Havering’s Fire Borough Commander Paul McClenaghan, who has revealed the enormous challenges facing firefighters after a summer of relentless fires, extreme heat and some of the most demanding conditions crews have faced.

Paul is a well-respected and extremely hardworking firefighter who leads from the front and is present at incidents, supporting his crews on the ground.

This summer has been particularly challenging for Havering firefighters, with the borough recording a staggering 47 incidents in one day last month.

Behind those figures are crews who have worked tirelessly, often spending hours at individual incidents before returning to their stations and being called out again.

Havering’s unique landscape, with its extensive open green spaces, has presented firefighters with additional challenges.

“Havering is very unique,” Paul tells the Havering Daily.

“It has many open green spaces and with that it presents many challenges.

“This year we have used a Tactical Terrain Vehicle that gave us the facility to access large parts of land that are frequently off road.

“We also use beaters to combat wildfires.”

But the way firefighters tackle these incidents is changing.

Paul explained that the service is having to adapt to the changing conditions and the increasing challenge of wildfires.

“We have to adapt. We can see that hot summers are now happening every year and as such as a service we are prepared to deal with these conditions.

“We have a Wildfire Tactical Advisor now in Mel Anderson. He has been to South Africa and seen the work they do there to stop wildfires.

“So we are proactively working hard all the time to do our best to find new ways to combat these fires.”

And it is not simply about the work carried out by firefighters.

Paul stressed that education and prevention are also vital in reducing the number of fires.

“We can see that how we fight fires is changing. But importantly it is also about education.

“We have to rely on others to do their jobs too. We can’t force people to cut the grass and manage land.

“Careless disposal of barbecues, we provide safety steps to people.”

The scale of the challenge faced by Havering crews this summer has been significant.

“We have had two to three fires every day across this particular area,” Paul said.

“Some have been significant wildfires that spread over a large area and we have to use many different tactics to extinguish them.

“Our firefighters have worked very long hours. They often remain at a job for over four hours in time to return and be called out again.

“We must remember that we are wearing heavy clothing and PPE facing incredible heat and high temperatures.

“Often we are called to the same places time and time again and have had to see our wildlife destroyed.”

For the firefighters, this has not been an ordinary summer.

It has meant repeated call-outs, long hours, extreme temperatures and difficult terrain.

It has meant battling fires across the borough and then being ready to respond again.

And through it all, Havering’s firefighters have continued to turn out and protect the community.

Their work has been relentless.

Their conditions have been extreme.

And their commitment has been extraordinary.

This summer, Havering’s firefighters have gone above and beyond to keep residents, homes, wildlife and our precious open spaces safe.

The Havering Daily sends its full praise and endless thanks to every firefighter who has worked so incredibly hard throughout this exceptionally challenging summer.

You have been there for Havering, time and time again.

Thank you.

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