Warning issued as fire crews called to more than 500 wildfires in 2025 so far

Independent

7 hours ago

A warning has been issued as firefighters have responded to more than 500 wildfires across England and Wales this year so far and temperatures continue to rise.
As of Thursday, 564 wildfire incidents have been responded to by English and Welsh fire and rescue services so far this year, which is a 717% increase on the same period in 2024, and more than double the number seen in 2022 which went on to be the worst year on record for wildfires, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.
The NFCC is now urging caution among members of the public when enjoying the outdoors in a bid to prevent further spikes in incidents.
It comes after the UK broke its record for the warmest day of the year twice on the same day, with the temperature reaching as high as 32.2C on Thursday.
And it is expected to get hotter yet, as the highest temperatures this week are forecast for Saturday, with low 30s fairly widely across England, and up to 34C possible in eastern areas, the Met Office said.
As the drier weather continues and temperatures rise, there are also concerns that the UK will see more wildfires in areas where homes and businesses border rural areas, the NFCC added.
The public is also being urged to take care when in, on or around water.
NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan said: 'We are deeply concerned about the escalating threat of wildfires this summer, which have the potential to become more frequent, intense and dangerous – particularly in areas where communities border the countryside.
'We all need to play our part in protecting each other, our environment and our homes and businesses.
'We want everyone to enjoy the nice weather, we are just asking that they take extra care when out and about because it only takes one small error to lead to a significant wildfire.
'Fire and rescue services are already under significant pressure, having responded to hundreds of wildfires this year alone.
'We are incredibly proud of the unwavering commitment and preparedness of our fire and rescue services.
'However, wildfires are no longer rare or isolated incidents – they are a growing national risk that require a national-level response.
'Without more adequate and sustained funding, fire and rescue services will continue to be stretched to the limit.'
Public safety advice issued by the NFCC includes avoiding the use of disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks, and moorland areas and not discarding cigarettes, matches, or glass bottles, as they can ignite dry vegetation.
With drier conditions during this time of year meaning that fires can burn into peat, and can burn for longer, it is likely some fires will take a number of days – rather than hours – to extinguish, causing more damage and placing further pressure on fire and rescue services, the NFCC added.
Across July 18 and 19 in 2022, the hottest days of that year, 84 wildfires were recorded, and 14 fire and rescue services declared major incidents, nine of which were linked to difficulties in responding due to the increase in operational demand, the NFCC said.