Wildfire used to be a Mediterranean problem. It is now a British one: record areas burned in recent years, fires on the edges of major cities, firefighters tied up for days on moorland, and a national summit on wildfire resilience. If your home backs onto heath, moor, forest, a railway embankment or a field of dry grass, this page is worth twenty minutes.
Before
- Know if you are near open land that burns: heath, moor, forest, long grass, embankments
- Check the Met Office Fire Severity Index in dry spells
- Clear dead vegetation, gutters and a gap around the house
- Store fuel, gas bottles and wood away from walls
- Pack the grab bag; keep the car fuelled in high-risk weeks
- Plan two ways out and a meeting point
- Never light barbecues or fires on open land; no sky lanterns
During
- See smoke on open land: call 999 immediately
- Windows and doors shut; ventilation off; pets inside
- Listen for official instructions on local radio and alerts
- If told to evacuate, go at once with the grab bag; do not wait to see
- Drive with headlights on, windows up, away from the fire and smoke
- Never return for belongings
After
- Return only when the fire service says it is safe
- Watch for hot spots and reignition for days
- Ash and smoke residue: masks, gloves, wash produce
- Photograph damage for insurance
- Check on neighbours and anyone with breathing problems
Where the risk is
Wildfires in the UK burn vegetation, not forests of pine like Greece or California. The classic sites are upland moor and heather in spring, when last year's growth is dead and dry before new growth comes; lowland heath in the south in summer; and dry grassland, verges, embankments and parks anywhere in a drought. The 2022 heatwave saw houses lost on the edge of London. If there is open, unmanaged vegetation within a few hundred metres of your home, you are in scope.
Reducing the risk around the home
Make a gap
Between the house and any wild vegetation, keep a zone of short, green, watered planting, paving or gravel. Embers travel; the aim is to give them nothing to catch on near the walls.
Clear the dead stuff
Leaves, dead hedging, piles of cuttings, dry grass against fences. Clear gutters, where leaves collect and embers land.
Move the flammables
Log piles, gas bottles, petrol for the mower, and wooden furniture away from walls and under windows.
Hoses connected
In dry spells, a hose connected and reaching all sides of the house. Not to fight a wildfire, which you should never do, but to damp down after embers.
Know your routes
Two ways out by car and one on foot. Where you would go. Where you would meet if separated. Write it into the household plan.
Not starting one
Almost every UK wildfire is started by people: disposable barbecues, campfires, cigarette ends, glass left in the sun, sky lanterns, and deliberate fire-setting. In a dry spell, nothing with a flame goes onto open land. Councils and landowners increasingly ban barbecues on heath and moor; follow the signs, and challenge others gently if you see them.
If a fire is near
Wildfires in dry wind move faster than people expect and change direction without warning. If the fire service or police tell you to leave, go immediately with the grab bag, the pets and the documents. Do not wait to see which way it goes, and do not stay to defend the house. Nothing in it is worth it.
If you are not told to leave but can see or smell smoke: shut every window and door, turn off any ventilation that draws from outside, bring pets in, move the car to face the road, put the grab bag by the door, and listen to local radio. Keep the phone charged and Emergency Alerts on. Check on neighbours, especially anyone who would need help leaving.
Smoke
Smoke affects far more people than flames. Stay indoors, windows shut, with an air purifier running if you have one. People with asthma or COPD should have their inhalers to hand and follow their action plan. A properly fitted FFP2 or FFP3 mask helps outdoors; a cloth mask does not. Keep children and older people inside. If anyone struggles to breathe, call 999.
Perspective
Most UK households will never be near a wildfire. For the minority on the urban fringe or in the uplands, the preparation is the same as for a flood: a grab bag, a plan, two routes out, and the willingness to leave early. It is twenty minutes of work in a calm month.
Common questions
Are wildfires really a UK problem?
Yes, and increasingly. Recent years have seen record areas burned across moorland, heath and grassland, from the Scottish Highlands to the Surrey heaths and the urban fringes of London and Manchester. They are mostly started by people, often accidentally, and spread fastest in spring on dead vegetation and in summer droughts.
What should I do if I see a wildfire?
Call 999 and ask for the fire service. Give the location as precisely as you can, using what3words or a landmark. Move away from the fire, into the wind if possible, towards roads or open ground. Do not try to put out anything bigger than a small grass fire you can stamp out, and never go back for belongings.
How do I protect my home if I live next to open land?
Keep a gap of low, green, well-watered planting between the house and any heath or long grass. Clear dead vegetation, leaves and gutters. Store wood, gas bottles and anything flammable away from the house. Keep hoses connected in dry spells. None of this fireproofs a house; it buys time and reduces the chance of embers taking hold.
Is wildfire smoke dangerous?
Yes, particularly for people with asthma, heart or lung conditions, children and older people. Stay indoors with windows and doors shut, turn off ventilation that draws air from outside, and use an air purifier if you have one. A well-fitting FFP2 or FFP3 mask helps if you must go out. Follow UKHSA and local council advice.