Fire crews faced nearly 27,000 wildfires during warmest spring and summer

Fire services in England tackled nearly 27,000 grassland, woodland and crop fires during the UK’s warmest spring and summer on record, new research shows.

Some services dealt with their highest number of incidents for the spring period since comparable data began, as prolonged dry weather led to a drought being declared in several parts of the country.

Fire chiefs said the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires was putting a strain on resources, but praised the way their crews showed “exceptional bravery and professionalism in challenging conditions”.

At least 12,454 grassland, woodland or crop fires were recorded by fire services in England in the three months from March to May 2025, according to figures obtained by the Press Association through Freedom of Information requests.

This is more than four times the 2,621 incidents logged by these services in the same period in 2024 and is the highest spring total for more than a decade.

A further 14,448 of these types of fires were recorded in June to August, one of the highest summer totals in recent years, though not as many as in 2022 (20,858) when a spell of very hot weather pushed temperatures in the UK above 40C for the first time.

This year didn’t see quite such intense heat, with a peak of 35.8C measured on July 1 in Faversham.

But both spring and summer 2025 were the UK’s warmest on record, based on Met Office mean temperature data, as persistent high-pressure weather systems brought prolonged spells of sunshine to the country, including a run of four heatwaves from mid-June to mid-August.

Spring was also the driest in the UK for more than 100 years and it was the combination of dry soils, little or no rain and above-average heat that sparked so many wildfires across the country.

The figures of 12,454 grassland, woodland or crop fires in March-May this year and 14,448 in June-August, 26,902 in total, will underestimate the true scale of the outbreaks, as the Press Association obtained full data from only 35 of the 43 mainland fire services in England.

Fires in this category include those on heathland and moorland; in fields and hedgerows; and by the side of roads, rivers and railways.

Dorset & Wiltshire fire service recorded 298 of these incidents between March and May this year, its highest number for spring since comparable data began in 2011, followed by 459 in June-August during a summer that was “one of the most challenging for wildfires that we’ve ever faced”, according to chief fire officer Andy Cole.

A fire on Holt Heath near Bournemouth in Dorset in August was declared a major incident and took nearly a week to extinguish fully, destroying 72 hectares and requiring support from services across the UK.

“Our firefighters worked around the clock in arduous conditions, often for days at a time, to protect lives, homes, and our natural environment,” Mr Cole added, with the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires putting “a strain on resources, such as equipment and finances.”

Dorset & Wiltshire was one of 10 fire services that reported a record number of grassland, woodland and crop fires this spring, according to Press Association analysis.

Others include Tyne & Wear, which reported 1,240 such fires, Durham & Darlington (719), Derbyshire (334) and Northumberland (309).

Official figures on outdoor fires in England are published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, with 2011 the first full calendar year for which data is available.

The Press Association used Freedom of Information requests to obtain the latest equivalent figures up to and including summer 2025.

West Yorkshire fire service recorded 1,094 grassland, woodland and crop fires this spring, six times the number in 2024, with a further 1,156 incidents in the summer.

Mick Rhodes, wildfire lead at West Yorkshire, said: “2025 has been one of the driest years on record and we saw the real impact of this with spikes in demand with large fires at Marsden, Rishworth and Castle Hill, all near Huddersfield.

“Moorland fires can burn for days and require a huge response operationally – they’re also exhausting for our firefighters who tackle them, due to the often-remote nature and hot weather that accompany them.

“To combat these threats, we take a proactive approach, working in our communities to educate and highlight the importance of enjoying our moorland safely. We also invest in the latest firefighting technology and have specialist wildfire crews who train specifically in tackling these types of fire.”

Kate Saint, head of prevention at Devon & Somerset fire and rescue service, said 2025 saw a “significant increase” in wildfires, with crews showing “exceptional bravery and professionalism in challenging conditions, using specialist training and equipment to respond quickly and limit damage.”

“Preventing these incidents in the first place is the most effective way to protect lives and our landscapes”, she added, as “many wildfires are avoidable and are often caused by everyday activities such as discarded cigarettes, barbecues or fires not properly extinguished.”

Some 229 grassland, woodland and crop fires were recorded by the Devon & Somerset service in spring this year, up from just 46 in 2024, with 443 in the summer.

Outbreaks of wildfires in 2025 were not just confined to the rural areas or remote parts of countryside.

Dozens of homes were evacuated of people in July after a fire in a field near Marlbrook, close to Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, while the same month saw homes evacuated after a grass fire in Dagenham, east London led to roughly eight hectares of land scorched, with around 125 firefighters needed to extinguish the blaze at its height.

A fire the following month on Wanstead Flats near Ilford in north-east London damaged four hectares of grassland.

London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith said the force had learned from previous events, such as the summer in 2022, to invest in new equipment and training to help tackle wildfires.

“We know that climate change is having an impact on London’s weather, particularly during the summer where we are seeing drier and hotter conditions more often,” he added.

“As the threat from wildfires continues to increase, it is also important that there is continued investment to ensure we have the necessary tools available to address the challenges that lie ahead.”

There were 659 grassland, woodland and crop fires recorded by the London Fire Brigade in spring 2025, up from 183 last year, with a further 1,235 in the summer.

A spokesperson for the National Fire Chiefs Council said: “Fire and rescue services faced unprecedented wildfire activity this year and firefighters worked tirelessly over prolonged periods and under extreme conditions to keep their local communities safe.

“As well as needing high levels of resource, tackling wildfires requires an expert approach with firefighters trained on how to assess what resources are needed, how to ensure rotation of crews to avoid firefighters being exposed to intense heat for too long, and how to assess how wind and other weather conditions might affect fire behaviours.

“Current climate change projections suggest that we will see conditions becoming more favourable for wildfires in the future – hotter and drier summers create ideal conditions for increased fire, whilst milder and wetter winters will encourage plant growth, which can then act as a fuel for fires when conditions dry out.

“Urgent and long-term investment is needed in people, equipment and other resources so that fire and rescue services can continue to keep their communities safe.”