UK wildfires
Today's fire-danger level across the UK, satellite heat detections from the last 24 hours, and how this season compares with the long-term average — updated twice a day from official European and NASA feeds.
Source data 20 September 2026 · last checked 20 September 2026, 12:28 · Copernicus EFFIS · NASA FIRMS
Fire danger is moderate or below across all 14 regions we sample. Satellites still logged 46 heat detections over UK land in the last 24 hours — see what that does and doesn't mean below.
Fire danger by region
2026-09-20 · EFFIS fire weather indexClasses are the EU fire-weather-index bands for a sample point in each area — indicative for the surrounding region, not a field-level forecast. England & Wales also publish the official Met Office Fire Severity Index, which drives legal access closures.
How bad is 2026?
2026 is year-to-date, not a full year. Counts fires large enough for EFFIS to map from satellite — small grass fires aren't included, so fire services' incident counts run far higher.
Where satellites saw heat in the last 24 hours
Locations are approximate cluster centres from ~375m-resolution satellite data. For the raw detection map, NASA's own FIRMS fire map is the source we read.
Understanding UK wildfire risk
The UK fire season is not the August story most people imagine. Satellite records show a dual-peak year: the biggest peak comes in SPRING — especially April, when a winter's worth of dead, dry vegetation sits on the hills before the green-up — with a second peak in summer, concentrated in southern England during heatwaves and drought. The season as a whole runs roughly March to October, and the single worst week on record was 2–8 April 2025, when around 18,000 hectares burned.
Almost all UK wildfires are started by people — natural ignition such as lightning is rare here. Fire-service incident data analysed by the Forestry Commission attributes roughly 40% of wildfires to deliberate fire-setting, with a further 17% of unknown cause; the remainder are accidental, which is why fire services put so much weight on the small stuff: disposable barbecues, cigarettes, campfires and glass left on dry ground.
England and Wales have an official measure of how dangerous conditions are: the Met Office Fire Severity Index. It doesn't predict where a fire will start — it assesses how severe one could become if it did, from rainfall, drought, wind, temperature and humidity. At the highest level, authorities can legally close open-access land to the public under Section 25 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act — those closures are published on Natural England's open-access maps.
A note on what our live data can and can't tell you. The detection counts above are satellite heat detections (NASA's VIIRS sensors, three satellites, ~375m resolution) filtered to UK land — a strong signal of active burning, but not a register of confirmed wildfires: controlled burns and industrial heat can register too, small fires can be missed under cloud, and a busy moorland fire is typically counted many times as satellites re-pass. The seasonal burnt-area figures come from the EU's Copernicus EFFIS system, which maps larger fires from satellite imagery — so they under-count small grass fires against the totals fire services report. We show both because together they give an honest picture of scale; neither is a definitive incident log.
This risk is moving, not static: Met Office-backed analysis projects the number of days of "very high" or "exceptional" fire danger across the UK to roughly double at 2°C of global warming, with spring and summer fire seasons lengthening and beginning to merge.
Sensible preparation, without the drama
For most UK households wildfire is a smoke-and-disruption risk, not a flames-at-the-door risk. The preparation that actually helps:
Smoke travelling? Our air quality tracker shows the official index for your region, live.
Common questions
Is there a wildfire near me right now?
The satellite detections on this page show where heat consistent with active burning was detected over UK land in the last 24 hours, updated twice a day — but they are not a live incident map, and small or new fires may not appear. If you can see smoke or flames, trust your eyes over any map: call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service immediately, without assuming someone else already has.
When is the UK wildfire season?
Roughly March to October, with two peaks: the biggest in spring — especially April, when dead winter vegetation is dry and abundant — and a second in summer during heatwaves and drought, mainly across southern England. Spring's peak surprises most people, but it is consistently the UK's worst wildfire period in the satellite record.
What should I do if I see a wildfire?
Call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service straight away — do not assume someone else has reported it. Give the most precise location you can (the what3words or OS Locate apps help). Move away from the fire, never try to tackle a wildfire yourself, and don't travel towards one to look: it hampers crews and winds can move fire quickly. If you suspect a fire was started deliberately, report it to the police on 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Does wildfire smoke affect my home's air?
Smoke from a large moorland or heath fire can carry many miles and noticeably affect air quality, particularly for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. On smoky days: keep windows closed while smoke is passing, and check the official Daily Air Quality Index for your region — our air quality tracker shows it live. If someone in the house is sensitive, an air purifier with a HEPA filter genuinely helps with smoke particles indoors.
Why is open-access land sometimes closed in dry spells?
Under Section 25 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, authorities such as Natural England can restrict access to open country during exceptional fire-risk conditions — with or without the landowner asking. Closures follow the Met Office Fire Severity Index reaching its highest band, and are published on Natural England's open access maps before you set out.
Get told when fire danger spikes
One calm email when UK fire danger reaches very high or a major fire is burning — what it means, where the smoke's heading, and what's worth doing. Nothing in between.
Sources: DfT & Met Office — Transport hazard summary: Wildfire (Oct 2025) · Perry et al. — Past and future trends in fire weather for the UK (NHESS, 2022) · NFCC — wildfire pressures statement, 11 Aug 2026 · Forestry Commission — Wildfire investigation project report (2023) · GOV.UK Prepare — wildfires guidance · Met Office — Fire Severity Index · GOV.UK — restricting open access land (CROW s.25). Fire danger and season statistics: Copernicus Emergency Management Service — EFFIS/GWIS (© European Union, CC BY 4.0). We acknowledge the use of data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), part of NASA's LANCE and ESDIS programmes. Independent and not affiliated with any government body.