Fire crew dealt with almost 27,000 wildfires this year amid summer heatwaves
England’s fire services battled almost 27,000 grassland, woodland and crop fires during Britain’s hottest spring and summer on record, new research shows.
The unprecedented conditions saw some services record the highest number of events for the spring period since comparable data began, as prolonged dry weather led to drought declarations in several regions.
Fire chiefs said the increasing frequency and intensity of bushfires was putting significant pressure on resources.
But they praised its crew for displaying “extraordinary courage and professionalism in difficult conditions”.
Figures obtained Press Association Freedom of Information requests reveal at least 12,454 grassland, woodland or crop fires were recorded by fire services in England between March and May 2025.
This represents a more than fourfold increase compared to the 2,621 incidents recorded during the same period in 2024 and marks the highest spring total in more than a decade.
Another 14,448 of such fires were recorded from June to August; This is one of the highest summer totals in recent years, but not as many as in 2022 (20,858), when very hot weather pushed temperatures above 40C in the UK for the first time.
There has been no such intense heat this year, with a peak of 35.8C measured in Faversham on 1 July.
But according to Met Office average temperature data, both the spring and summer months of 2025 were the warmest on record in the UK; because persistent high-pressure weather systems brought prolonged periods of sunshine to the country, including four heat waves from mid-June to mid-August.
Spring was also the driest season in the UK for over 100 years, and it was the combination of dry lands, little or no rain and above average temperatures that triggered numerous bushfires across the country.
This year’s figure of 12,454 pasture, woodland or crop fires in March-May and 14,448 in June-August for a total of 26,902 would underestimate the true extent of the outbreaks. Press Association It obtained complete data from only 35 of the 43 mainland fire brigades in England.
Fires in this category include fires in heathland and moorland; in fields and hedgerows; and along roads, rivers and railways.
Dorset & Wiltshire fire service recorded 298 of these incidents between March and May this year; this was the highest number for the spring months since comparable data began in 2011; That was followed by 459 during the summer months of June-August, “one of the most challenging events in terms of wildfires we’ve ever experienced,” according to Fire Chief Andy Cole.
A fire at Holt Heath near Bournemouth in Dorset in August was declared a major incident and took around a week to be completely extinguished; 72 hectares of land were destroyed and required support from services across the UK.
“Our firefighters worked around the clock, often for days, in challenging conditions to protect lives, homes and our natural environment,” Mr. Cole added; The increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires “puts pressure on resources such as equipment and finances.”
Dorset & Wiltshire was one of 10 fire services to report a record number of pasture, woodland and crop fires this spring. Press Association analysis.
Others include Tyne & Wear, Durham & Darlington (719), Derbyshire (334) and Northumberland (309), which reported 1,240 such fires.
Official figures for open fires in England are published by the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the first full calendar year for which data is available is 2011.
Press Association It used Freedom of Information requests to obtain the latest equivalent figures up to and including summer 2025.
West Yorkshire fire service recorded 1,094 pasture, woodland and crop fires this spring; this number was six times the number in 2024; There were 1,156 more incidents during the summer months.
Mick Rhodes, bushfire leader in West Yorkshire, said: “2025 has been one of the driest years in history and we have seen the real impact of this with increases in demand with major fires at Marsden, Rishworth and Castle Hill, all near Huddersfield.
“Moorland fires can burn for days and require a major operational response; they are also tiring for our firefighters who fight them, due to the often remote nature and hot weather that accompanies them.
“We are taking a proactive approach to tackling these threats, working in our communities to educate and highlight the importance of enjoying our moors safely. We are also investing in the latest firefighting technology and have specialist bushfire teams specifically trained to tackle these types of fires.”
Kate Saint, head of prevention at Devon & Somerset fire and rescue service, said 2025 had seen a “significant increase” in bushfires, with crews “showing exceptional courage and professionalism in challenging conditions, using specialist training and equipment to respond quickly and limit damage”.
“Since many wildfires are preventable and are often caused by everyday activities such as discarded cigarettes, barbecues or improperly extinguished fires, preventing these events in the first place is the most effective way to protect lives and our nature,” he added.
Some 229 pasture, woodland and crop fires were recorded by the Devon & Somerset service in spring this year; While this number was only 46 in 2024, it was 443 in the summer.
Wildfires in 2025 were not just limited to rural areas or remote parts of the countryside.
Dozens of homes were evacuated after a fire broke out in a field near Marlbrook near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire in July, while in the same month homes were evacuated after a grass fire in Dagenham, east London, which burned nearly 8 hectares of land, requiring around 125 firefighters to extinguish the blaze at its height.
The following month, a fire at Wanstead Flats near Ilford, north-east London, damaged four hectares of grazing land.
London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith said the force had learned from previous incidents, such as the one in summer 2022, to invest in new equipment and training to help fight bushfires.
“We know that climate change is having an impact on London’s weather, particularly in the summer months when we see drier, hotter conditions more frequently,” he added.
“As the threat from bushfires continues to grow, it is also important that investment continues to ensure we have the tools to meet the challenges ahead.”
There were 659 grassland, woodland and crop fires recorded by the London Fire Brigade in spring 2025, up from 183 last year and 1,235 in summer.
The Met Office has said it is “likely” that 2025 will be the UK’s warmest year since records began, based on the average temperature across the country to December 21.
The exact figure will be confirmed in early January 2026.
