Homeowners on the edge of towns issued wildfire warning (2025)

Edges of towns are at higher risk of wildfires. (Image: Getty)

Those living on the edge of towns and cities have been warned that wildfires could pose a major threat this summer. Firefighters and experts are urging Brits to take action to help minimise the impact and reduce the risk of wildfires as temperatures soar.

Speaking to The Times, lead wildfire tactical adviser at the National Fire Chiefs Council, Dave Swallow, said: “I think our biggest challenge in the future, in the probably not too distant future, as we saw in 2022, is the rural-urban interface: any sort of buildings up against vegetation, wild open areas. I think they’re going to be our biggest challenge, in summer fires particularly."

He was referring to the scorching 40C heat in the summer of 2022, which led to devastating housefires in Wennington and Dagenham in outer London. Mr Swallow continued: “I think the change will have to be that the public takes a little more responsibility. We go and fit smoke alarms in someone’s house, we give them advice about, ‘Don’t put your toaster under the cupboard, unplug your telly at night.’

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Wennington was his with a huge wildfire in 2022. (Image: getty)

“Our advice in the future, in appropriate areas, will have to include having a look around the outside, looking at the trees that come right up to their roof lines, how fire could spread from that open patch of ground to their property."

This comes as the Fire Brigades Union warns that wildfires could create a "postcode lottery" of firefighting resources.

Steve Wright, the general secretary, said: “We’re calling for a statutory body to actually set national standards, because we’ve seen a fragmentation of standards under successive Conservative governments. Services are putting out fires, but we need to ensure that we have enough firefighters and fire engines for everyday incidents. It’s become a postcode lottery across the UK."

Statistics show that there were 286 wildfires between January 1 and April 4, 2025

This is more than 100 above the number recorded for the same period in January 2022.

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There has been an increase in wildfires (Image: Getty)

Meanwhile, the Met Office has said the increase in wildfires has come due to dry, windy conditions.

Earlier this month, national parks warned of a “catastrophic” risk from wildfires.

Ben Jackson, who leads rangers in part of the North York Moors National Park, said they “could be catastrophic for our wildlife and habitats, not to mention a serious danger to people”.