UK breaks worrying wildfire record: 113 sq miles of land has already been burnt this year - due to unusually dry spring conditions

Daily Mail​

28-04-2025

The amount of UK land burnt by wildfires has already smashed the all-time record, just four months into the year.
Since the start of 2025, more than 113 square miles (292 square km or 29,200 hectares) of land has been consumed by fires raging across the country.
That is already greater than the previous record of 108 square miles (281 square km) burnt throughout the entirety of 2019, according to data collected by Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) since 2012.
And experts warn that the worst could still be yet to come.
Although wildfires are common during early spring, the number of fires in some parts of the country has been up over 1,200 per cent.
According to experts, the UK's record-breaking blazes have been driven by an exceptionally hot and dry March and April, likely linked with climate change.
Oliver Claydon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, told MailOnline: 'During dry Springs, there is an elevated chance of wildfire outbreaks in grassland and heather heaths.
'This is often due to the presence of dead undergrowth from the previous year, together with a lack of new plant growth that might otherwise impede the ignition and spread of fires.'
This year, several parts of the UK have been struck by unusually large wildfires.
The most devastating period, according to GWIS data, was the seven-day stretch from April 2 to April 8 in which over 69 square miles (180 square km) of land was burnt.
The largest blazes have occurred in the Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland, and parts of Wales.
A fire in the Galloway Forest Park, located in south-west Scotland, destroyed 25 square miles (65 square km) according to BBC analysis.
Likewise, a fire just 16 miles (25km) from Aberystwyth destroyed roughly 20 square miles (50 square km).
Meanwhile, Abergwesyn Common in Powys, Wales was struck by a fire which burnt a further six square miles (16 km square).
Although most fires are started by humans, either deliberately or accidentally, natural conditions make it easier for fires to ignite and spread.
The Met Office says that this year's fires are the product of a wet autumn followed by a warm and dry spring.
The Met Office says that last March was the sunniest since records began in 1910 (illustrated left) while the UK only received 43 per cent of the average rainfall for the month (illustrated right)
Mr Claydon says: 'We had an exceptionally dry and sunny March, this followed quite a wet autumn and winter which can have the effect of increasing the vegetation that acts as fuel for any fire that does start.'
According to the Met Office data, this March was the sunniest since records began in 1910, with some areas of Wales and England getting 150 per cent of the average sunshine.
The month was also exceptionally dry, with the UK receiving just 43 per cent of its average rainfall for March.
These conditions led to the fire risk for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and parts of Scotland being escalated to 'severe' by the start of April.
Researchers warn that the conditions for dangerous fires are becoming more common as human-caused climate change continues to disrupt the climate.
Mr Claydon says: 'Current climate change projections suggest that we are likely to see an increase in the conditions needed for wildfire across the UK as temperatures increase, and spells of low rainfall become more common.'
Research conducted by the Met Office found that the damaging fires during the UK's record-breaking 2022 heatwave were made at least six times more likely due to human-caused climate change
Although the recent bout of wet weather has largely brought this month's blazes to an end, the UK's wildfire woes are far from over.
The peak of wildfire season typically comes later in the year when the warm weather has dried out the vegetation again.
'We are of course still in spring, but further dry, warm and breezy spells could again increase the wildfire risk through summer,' says Mr Clayton.
He adds that it is 'too far ahead to make any predictions for the summer ahead at this stage'.
Yet the UK's record-breaking spring has led some experts to worry that the worst may be yet to come.
Likewise, Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, told the BBC: 'My number one worry is what is going to happen in the summer.
'There are fewer wildfires but they are bigger and they can actually be seriously catastrophic.
'You can have 100 [small] wildfires across the whole country and all of them can be handled in one day, or you could have one summer wildfire that actually cannot be stopped in a week and actually goes on to burn houses.'
The increased wildfire risk means there will be more pressure on the UK's already stretched firefighting services.
A spokesperson for the National Fire Chiefs Council told MailOnline: 'So far this year, we have experienced more than double the number of wildfires we saw for the same period in 2022 – which went on to be a record year for wildfires.
'It is early days yet, but if we continue to have warm weather and rising wildfire numbers, then we could surpass what we saw in 2022.
'One inconsiderate action or small mistake can lead to a significant wildfire.
'So we are asking that people take that extra care to prevent wildfires, including by avoiding the use of disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks and moorland areas, and by not discarding cigarettes, matches or glass bottles that could ignite dry vegetation.'
HOW ARE WILDFIRES STARTED?
The 'Thomas Fire' destroyed 281,893 acres in California in December 2017.
Additionally, British Columbia's Nazko Complex Fire last year consumed more than a million acres, making it the largest ever recorded in the province.
But the amount of land destroyed by wildfires each year will only go up in western and northern North America in the years to come, according to a new report published in the journal Plos One.
Up to 90 percent of US wildfires are caused by people, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
These fires can be initiated by unattended campfires, piles of burning debris, haphazardly discarded cigarettes or arson.