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Fire services across England and Wales have already tackled more wildfires this year than in any previous year on record, prompting warnings from fire chiefs that the system is at breaking point without urgent investment.
New figures show that, as of 4 September 2025, fire and rescue services have responded to 996 wildfire incidents – surpassing the 994 recorded in the whole of 2022, which was previously the worst year for wildfires. A dry spring followed by repeated summer heatwaves has fuelled the surge, with incidents stretching crews for days and, in some cases, weeks at a time. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) described the figures as a “stark warning” and urged the government to provide long-term funding for frontline services.
The record comes after a series of major blazes in recent weeks. On 9 August, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident as more than 100 firefighters battled two large heath fires – one at Holt Heath near Wimborne, and another at Newton Heath near Swanage that grew to the size of 35 football pitches. Resources were so stretched that reinforcements were drafted in from Hampshire, Devon, Somerset, Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
Just a day later, firefighters in Edinburgh worked through the night to contain a gorse blaze on Arthur’s Seat. Later in August, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident after a wildfire near Langdale Forest, adjacent to RAF Fylingdales, escalated to the point where support from across the UK had to be mobilised.
The NFCC warned that these wildfires highlight the growing strain on services. Fire and rescue crews in England responded to 600,185 incidents in 2024 – up 20% compared to a decade earlier. At the same time, firefighter numbers have been steadily eroded. Since 2008, England has lost around 11,000 wholetime firefighters, equivalent to a quarter of the workforce. Concerns have also been raised about the Government’s funding review, with fire chiefs warning that proposed changes could cut resources further, reducing capacity by up to 2,300 firefighters.
“This year’s record wildfires have tied up crews for days on end and taken a real human toll on 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.”
NFCC Chair Phil Garrigan.
With the government currently deliberating on funding allocations following the Spending Review, the NFCC is pressing for urgent and long-term investment in people, equipment and resources to ensure services can keep pace with the growing impact of climate change.
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