New wildfire record sparks urgent call for fire service investment

New wildfire record sparks urgent call for fire service investment

• Fire and rescue services in England and Wales have responded to 996 wildfire incidents so far this year (as of 4 September 2025), surpassing the 994 seen throughout the entire year of 2022 – which was previously the worse year on record for wildfires.
• Warnings from fire chiefs about the pressure on services follow a series of significant wildfires, including recent major incidents in Dorset and Wiltshire and North Yorkshire, and a significant blaze at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
• Demand on fire and rescue services is going up whilst firefighter numbers are falling. Fire and rescue services in England responded to 600,185 incidents in total last year – an increase of 100,000 (20%) compared to a decade ago (2014).
• Firefighter numbers in England are down by 25% since 2008 – the equivalent of 11,000 wholetime firefighters.

Record wildfires numbers are a stark warning of the need to urgently invest in fire and rescue services, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has said. This comes after new data showed wildfires in England and Wales have reached almost 1,000 so far this year. With the Government currently deliberating on how money will be distributed amongst services following the Spending Review, NFCC Chair, Phil Garrigan, warned that fire and rescue is “the foundation of national resilience” and called for “urgent and long-term investment in people, equipment and resources”.

This year has seen the UK experience a dry spring and a series of heatwaves throughout the summer, sending wildfire numbers rocketing. Data from National Resilience shows that the number of wildfires responded to by fire and rescue services in England and Wales since the start of 2025 reached 996 on Thursday 4 September. This surpassed the 994 seen throughout the entirety of 2022, which had previously been the worst year for wildfires.

Earlier this summer, NFCC warned that the scale of these blazes – which can go on for days and sometimes weeks – risked putting a huge strain on fire and rescue services.

Recent weeks have seen firefighters under increasing pressure. On Saturday 9 August, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident as firefighters battled two large heath fires. Over 100 firefighters tackled a blaze at Holt Heath near Wimborne, whilst at Newton Heath, near Swanage, firefighters tackled a heath fire the size of 35 football pitches which had begun the previous Sunday (3 August).

Dorset and Wiltshire FRS said the scale of the two fires had a significant impact on the overall availability of resources resulting in a major incident being declared and in firefighters being deployed from neighbouring Hampshire & Isle of Wight and Devon and Somerset fire and rescue services and from as far away as Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.

On Sunday 10 August, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service responded to a gorse blaze on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh which saw firefighters working through the night to bring the fire under control.

On Wednesday 13 August, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident due to a wildfire near Langdale Forest, next to RAF Fylingdales, which saw support being drawn in from services across the UK. With the blaze continuing, on Wednesday 27 August, National Resilience – who coordinate specialist fire and rescue capabilities under the auspices of the National Co-ordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF) on behalf of the Government – issued a request for welfare support from other services. The assistance request for firefighters and appliances, enabled North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews to have a period of respite, during the challenging incident.

Wildfires are placing a growing operational toll on fire and rescue services against a backdrop of increasing demand and falling firefighter numbers. Fire and rescue services in England responded to 600,185 incidents in total last year – an increase of 100,000 (20%) compared to a decade ago (2014). Firefighter numbers in England are down by 25% since 2008 – the equivalent of 11,000 wholetime firefighters. Meanwhile, last month NFCC warned that proposed changes to the way fire and rescue services are funded could result in further cuts equivalent to the loss of up to 2,300 firefighters.

National Fire Chief Council (NFCC) Chair, Phil Garrigan, said:

“This year’s record wildfires have stretched fire and rescue services to the limit, tying up crews for days on end and taking a real human toll on the firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us. Some services have been forced to call in reinforcements from across the country, raising serious concerns about their ability to respond to their full range of duties. The cooler months may be on their way, but the climate emergency is not going anywhere. If it is not wildfires, it is floods – and fire and rescue will always be on the front line.

“We are trying to meet these challenges against a backdrop of 11,000 fewer firefighters than we had a decade ago and after years of sustained funding cuts, even as demand has risen by 20%. Fire and rescue is the foundation of our national resilience – we cannot allow it to become the forgotten emergency service.

“With the Government deliberating on how it will fund services following the Spending Review, now must be the time to act. Urgent and long-term investment is needed in people, equipment, and resources so that fire and rescue services can tackle the impact of climate change and continue to keep our communities safe.”

Wildfires Public Safety Advice:

• Avoid using disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks, and moorland areas.

• Do not discard cigarettes, matches, or glass bottles, as they can ignite dry vegetation.

• Follow local authority guidance on fire risks and restrictions.

• If you notice any suspicious behaviour or see someone intentionally starting a fire, contact the Police immediately or report the information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. If there is a fire, call 999 immediately.

• Report any signs of fire immediately by calling 999 and asking for the Fire and Rescue Service.

NFCC

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