London [UK], May 6 (HBTV): A wildfire has destroyed approximately 12,500 acres (50.6 square kilometres) of moorland on Dartmoor in south-west England.

Emergency services received multiple calls about the blaze on Sunday, and firefighters worked for nearly 24 hours to bring it under control before extinguishing it on Monday.

Authorities urged the public to avoid the Merrivale and Okehampton areas during the incident. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service cautioned that the fire could behave ‘unpredictably’ due to shifting weather conditions.

The blaze follows the United Kingdom’s warmest start to May on record, with temperatures reaching 29.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday afternoon in south-west London.

(ANI/ WAM)