Wildfires UK risk: areas most at risk as Suffolk is declared a major incident

UK wildfires haven’t, historically, been something most of us worry about. While hundreds are reported each year, they’re typically incomparable to those our European neighbours face each summer.

However, rising temperatures are changing this. UK Wildfires are increasingly mirroring wildfires in Europe as we experience record-breaking temperatures and repeated heatwaves – with southern England just out of the fourth official heatwave of the summer.

At the time of writing, 30 July, emergency services are battling a wildfire in Suffolk that broke out on Dunwich Heath on Wednesday. Speaking to the BBC, deputy leader of East Suffolk Council, Paul Ashton, said that the fire is still not under control as of 12pm on 30 July: “They’re still working hard to get it under control, so the people that are in Westleton that stayed here last night are waiting, really. They can’t go back to get their possessions or their cars, so we’re looking after them.”

Residents of nearby homes and those in a caravan park have been evacuated, and there are reports that the scent of the fire is filling the air along the coast.

It comes after a spate of recent wildfires in the UK. A large-scale wildfire in Wales was declared a “major incident” earlier in July, with Natural England warning that parts of the UK face an ‘exceptional’ risk of ongoing fires – particularly in Southern England. Further fires have also been reported on Halkyn Mountain in Flintshire and at Braichmelyn Forest in Bethesda.

Temperatures are set to cool slightly across much of the UK over the coming days, but experts are very conscious that August and September heatwaves could be yet to come.

UK regions at risk of wildfires

According to Natural England’s live Fire Severity Map, much of southern and eastern England is at a ‘very high’ risk of fires at the time of writing, with some corners of the country occasionally tipping into the ‘exceptional’ risk category. Comparatively, a majority of south-west England, Wales and northern England falls into the ‘moderate’ and ‘low’ risk categories.

UK’s Fire Severity Index (FSI) explained

While the news around UK wildfires can seem scary, it’s important to understand the facts about the current reported risk factors – areas described as under ‘exceptional’ risk do not relate to the likelihood of fires occurring; rather, they are an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start.

The FSI shows the current day’s fire severity and a forecast of likely fire severity over the coming five days. The index values range from 1 to 5 and represent increasing degrees of fire severity.

To learn more, visit the Natural England website here.