UK faces ‘highly concerning’ wildfire risk this weekend – Exeter experts comment on heatwave - University of Exeter

The UK may be facing its worst-ever risk of wildfires this weekend, a leading expert says.

The warning comes as University of Exeter researchers comment on multiple aspects of the ongoing heatwave, which is affecting the UK and much of Europe.

Here’s what the researchers say:

Professor Claire Belcher, Exeter’s Chair of Wildland Fire and Director of the wildFIRE Lab, said: “UK wildfire risk is highly concerning right now. Large parts of the country are on red wildfire alert for the second time ever – the last being July 2022 when 19 homes were destroyed by wildfire in Wennington. Our fire behaviour prediction system, FireInSite, shows the highest risk of ignition we have seen on the system since it was built. This Friday, many highly environmentally valuable areas across the UK – such as Dartmoor, and Devon and Dorset’s heathlands – show a 100% chance of a spark being able to start a fire in grass. Across the UK, current conditions meet the 30:30:30 rule for wildfires – 30°C, 30% humidity, and 30km/hr wind speeds. This is a line imposed globally that makes wildfires highly likely. This might actually be the first time the UK has crossed the 30:30:30 boundary. All this means that heatwave conditions today and over the weekend pose considerable fire risk to crops and our semi-natural landscapes – particularly heathlands, moorlands and grasslands. Communities should be urged to be particularly careful with ignition sources. There have been several wildfires already over the last week, including around Exeter. This closed a large section of the M5 and A38 westbound from Exeter for hours, impacting travel, infrastructure, and the local economy.”