Fire crews attending a blaze in Walton Grounds, Kings Sutton, Northamptonshire, England, rescued a small field mouse on Thursday afternoon. The firefighters spotted the creature attempting to navigate the burning undergrowth while they were working to extinguish flames engulfing trees and hedgerows.
"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 stated on social media. The crew located the mouse's companions in a nearby hedgerow and relocated the family to a safe place after checking them over. The mouse reportedly accepted a drink of water before returning to its family.
The fire is understood to have been accidental, caused by sunlight reflecting off broken glass. The Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service urged the public to refrain from lighting open fires during the current dry conditions.
This incident occurred amidst a summer of wildfires across the UK, exacerbated by heatwaves. According to reports, over 1,017 blazes have erupted in Britain in 2026. In a separate incident, the aftermath of a wildfire in Stourbridge, West Midlands, was described as 'apocalyptic,' destroying or damaging 37 houses. The cause of the Stourbridge fire is under investigation by West Midlands Police.