Wildfire ignition risk in Somerset reached 100% on Wednesday, an expert from Exeter University said, as at least 19 wildfires burned across the UK on Thursday and the country logged its 564th blaze since January — a 717% increase over the same period in 2024. A moorland fire in Derbyshire has now burned for three weeks.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned of an "extreme" wildfire risk in the capital following a Walthamstow blaze that swept through roughly 30 gardens on Sunday, drawing about 125 firefighters. Khan urged residents to create firebreaks, and the London Fire Brigade advised clearing two- to three-metre strips around gardens. Havering and Hounslow carry the highest borough-level risks.
An estimated 1,000 people in London and the South East died during the May and June heatwaves. In Spain, a wildfire in Almería killed 13 people, including seven British nationals, ravaging 7,000 hectares.