Firefighters in Northamptonshire rescued a tiny field mouse from a burning thicket on Thursday afternoon. Crews from Towcester Fire Station were battling a fire involving trees and hedgerows in Walton Grounds, Kings Sutton, when a member of the team spotted the small creature.
"Whilst we were attending some trees and hedgerows involved in fire, a member of our crew spotted this miraculous little field mouse scurrying amongst the smouldering undergrowth," Towcester Fire Station posted on social media.
After locating the mouse, the crew searched the nearby hedgerow and found its companions. The mouse was given water before being reunited with its family, which were then relocated to a safe place. The fire is understood to have been accidental, caused by sunlight reflecting off broken glass. The fire service advised the public against lighting fires in the open during dry conditions.
This incident occurred amidst a summer of wildfires across the UK, exacerbated by heatwaves. In 2026, over 1,017 blazes have erupted in Britain. The Met Office indicated the possibility of another heatwave in September. Globally, these conditions have contributed to over 150 million acres of land burning this year, with 1,359,079 acres affected in Europe alone.