Overview
- The National Fire Chiefs Council reports 564 wildfire incidents in England and Wales so far in 2025, a 717 percent increase from the same period last year and more than double 2022’s total.
- The Met Office recorded two 32.2°C highs on June 19 and expects temperatures to reach up to 34°C in eastern England.
- Fire and rescue services are under mounting pressure responding to hundreds of blazes, with some peat fires burning for days and stretching resources thin.
- NFCC chairman Phil Garrigan warned that wildfires are becoming more frequent, intense and dangerous, particularly where communities border dry vegetation.
- The NFCC has urged the public to avoid disposable barbecues and to dispose of cigarettes, matches and glass bottles safely to prevent new outbreaks.