The EFRA Committee has launched a call for evidence on the growing threat posed by wildfires in the UK, to both urban and rural areas
Image: Adobe Stock/James Elkington
The National Fire Chiefs Council said that 2025 broke UK records for the most reported incidents of wildfires, surpassing the previous record in 2022.
Wildfires threaten human health both from their immediate dangers and air pollution affecting people who live and work nearby.
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That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
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Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
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It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
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Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
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Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.
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More than half (54.4%) of UK wildfires between 2009 and 2021 occurred in built up areas. In July 2022, 20 houses were destroyed in a large grassfire in Wennington, East London. These incidents can be devastating for biodiversity and agriculture, including long-term changes to soil properties.
The Climate Change Committee has concluded that wildfires caused by extreme weather are now six times more likely due to climate change.
More wildfires happen in spring than summer in the UK due to burning of vegetation by landowners, dry and dead vegetation left from winter and visitor pressures.
With this call for evidence, part of the Committee’s ongoing thematic work on climate and weather resilience, MPs are seeking evidence on how risks are mitigated through management of land and monitoring, and which organisations and government agencies have responsibility and oversight of these efforts.
Chair comment
EFRA Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael said:
“From Northumberland to London, fears of wildfires are spreading as records are broken year on year.
“The wheels of Government turn slowly, so it is essential that Ministers get to work now on developing reliable systems that can meet these growing threats.
“We want to hear from experts in this field and organisations who care for their landscapes, as well as public services who face wildfires annually and have tools and strategies to prevent and contain them.
“The Committee will also look at how other countries prepare and mitigate these risks to people, property, plant and animal life.
“With so many local and national organisations with a role to play, it is paramount that we have clear lines of responsibility and joined-up thinking.”
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