THE number of summer wildfires in Merseyside almost tripled this year due to the season's heatwave.

Between May and July, the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service tackled 1,026 grass and wild fires.

This was almost three times the summertime yearly average from 2014 to 2017, Press Association analysis found, as the summer’s soaring temperatures and weeks without rainfall turned grasslands into tinderboxes.

The figures show July had the highest number of fires in the joint hottest summer on record, according to the Met Office.

Across the UK, the number of grass fires increased by 157 per cent in 2018, with almost 25,000 call outs over the three-month period.

Responding to the figures, a spokesman for the Fire Brigade Union said: "The growing risk of grass fires represents another strain on the dwindling resources of fire and rescue services, who are currently experiencing severe budget cuts across the country.

"Fire services do not receive enough funding to respond to an increase on this scale."

The Merseyside figures did not specify a cause, however in the national data where a cause was stated, 38 per cent were caused by a naked flame, such as candles or matches.

In 17 per ent smoking materials, such as a lighter or cigarette, were the source, and 11 per cent started naturally.

Where a location is listed in the national figures, the most common place was scrub land, with 30 per cent of fires.

In 23 per cent of incidents, the blaze was on grassland or grazing land, while 11 per cent were reported in gardens.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The tireless efforts of firefighters to contain wildfires this summer have been astounding.

"We have made sure fire and rescue services have the support and equipment required to successfully fight these types of fires.

"We support FRSs by providing specialist capabilities for the largest emergencies, including high volume pumps and the National Resilience team of specialist experts. Soldiers have also been deployed to tackle these incidents."