UK Faces Worst Wildfire Season on Record as Climate Pressures Mount
Over 47,000 hectares burned in 2025—more than any year since national wildfire monitoring began
Wildfires in the United Kingdom have scorched a record-breaking area in 2025, intensifying pressure on the country’s fire and rescue services.
Data from the Global Wildfire Information System show that by November the total area burned reached approximately 47,026 hectares (about 116,204 acres), more than double the damage of the previously record year of 2022.
The surge in wildfire activity is being attributed to a combination of extreme dry conditions, high temperatures, and vegetation build-up—factors increasingly associated with climate change.
Major incidents included large moorland fires on Langdale Moor in North Yorkshire and the dramatically sized wildfire across Carrbridge and Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands, which was described as the UK’s first “mega-fire”.
Fire-fighting organisations are sounding the alarm about resource strains.
In its letter to government ahead of the Budget, the Fire Brigades Union and several climate and justice groups pointed to the loss of nearly 12,000 firefighters since 2010, a 30 percent reduction in central funding in real terms, and shortages of specialist protective equipment for wildfire response.
One fire-fighter on the ground noted that if a simultaneous flooding and wildfire event occurred, response capacity would be insufficient.
The letter emphasises that significant, long-term investment is needed in both prevention and response—particularly given the twin risks of wildfires and flooding that are converging under a warming climate.
Government spokespeople responded that plans are in place: a national wildfire adviser has been appointed and efforts to coordinate services and bolster resources are underway.
However, analysts and frontline personnel argue that the scale and pace of the increase in fire risk require a systematic upgrade of Britain’s national emergency-response framework.
With record burn areas, stretched fire-fighting capacity and a climate trajectory that suggests more frequent extreme events, the UK faces a critical test of its resilience in confronting natural hazards.
Data from the Global Wildfire Information System show that by November the total area burned reached approximately 47,026 hectares (about 116,204 acres), more than double the damage of the previously record year of 2022.
The surge in wildfire activity is being attributed to a combination of extreme dry conditions, high temperatures, and vegetation build-up—factors increasingly associated with climate change.
Major incidents included large moorland fires on Langdale Moor in North Yorkshire and the dramatically sized wildfire across Carrbridge and Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands, which was described as the UK’s first “mega-fire”.
Fire-fighting organisations are sounding the alarm about resource strains.
In its letter to government ahead of the Budget, the Fire Brigades Union and several climate and justice groups pointed to the loss of nearly 12,000 firefighters since 2010, a 30 percent reduction in central funding in real terms, and shortages of specialist protective equipment for wildfire response.
One fire-fighter on the ground noted that if a simultaneous flooding and wildfire event occurred, response capacity would be insufficient.
The letter emphasises that significant, long-term investment is needed in both prevention and response—particularly given the twin risks of wildfires and flooding that are converging under a warming climate.
Government spokespeople responded that plans are in place: a national wildfire adviser has been appointed and efforts to coordinate services and bolster resources are underway.
However, analysts and frontline personnel argue that the scale and pace of the increase in fire risk require a systematic upgrade of Britain’s national emergency-response framework.
With record burn areas, stretched fire-fighting capacity and a climate trajectory that suggests more frequent extreme events, the UK faces a critical test of its resilience in confronting natural hazards.
