The UK is going through its busiest wildfire period ever on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council. Speaking to Sky News, the council's chair, Philip Garrigan, said around 716 wildfires have been recorded since the start of the year, a figure that points to one of the most demanding wildfire seasons the country's fire and rescue services have faced.
July has been especially severe. Nearly 400 wildfires were recorded in the month so far, making it the busiest July on record for wildfires in England and Wales. The intensity of activity has been concentrated in recent days, with more than 200 wildfires reported in just the last two weeks across the country.
The nature of the fires is changing as well. According to the National Fire Chiefs Council, the wildfires are getting more intense and are lasting for longer than in the past. That combination places sustained pressure on crews, who have to remain deployed at incidents for extended periods before a blaze is brought under control.
The council links the trend to shifting weather patterns. Hotter, drier summers and wetter winters are compounding the problem, Garrigan said. The wetter winters can stimulate the growth of vegetation, which then dries out and provides more fuel once the hot, dry conditions return during the summer months.
The geographical spread has also widened. The wildfires are appearing everywhere across the UK, and there is probably not a fire and rescue service that has not had to deal with a wildfire over the past months. Areas once thought of as predictable hotspots have given way to fires that can start almost anywhere the conditions are dry enough.
Increasingly, the fires are also reaching beyond the countryside. The council said that after starting in rural communities, wildfires are now making their way into urban environments too. That raises the stakes for fire services, which must protect critical infrastructure and the natural environment as well as people's homes and livelihoods.
The scale of the response has required cooperation across the country, with firefighters brought in from other areas to reinforce local crews, as seen at the major wildfire in Suffolk. Data reported this week also indicated that the area of England, Wales and Scotland burned so far this year has already exceeded the total for 2025, even though it is still only July.