Professional body says firefighters ‘pushed to brink’ by climate crisis-fuelled blazes, as wildfire in North Yorkshire continues to burn
UK firefighters have warned that 2025 is on track to beat the national record for wildfires, with frontline staff “pushed to their limits”.
On Wednesday, a major incident was declared in the North York Moors national park, with 20 fire engines deployed to tackle at least 5 sq km of moorland that has been burning since Monday.
It follows a similar major incident over the weekend tackled by Dorset and Wiltshire fire service and a blaze at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
In England and Wales alone, crews have already tackled 856 wildfires this year, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said – a third higher than the record-breaking totals seen in 2022 and six times the number recorded last year – warning that hot and dry weather means the figures will likely only increase.
