The UK is preparing for a fourth heatwave this year as extreme weather in France and Spain has sparked 'apocalyptic' wildfires. Huge blazes are located just nine miles from the city of Bordeaux, with officials warning the next 24 hours will be crucial to save the city. The fires on the continent are being fueled by scorching temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds.
UK heatwave and wildfire warnings
Parts of England are expected to meet heatwave criteria on Wednesday, with highs of 32°C or 33°C. More areas will experience the heatwave on Thursday. A yellow heat alert has been issued from 9am on Tuesday to 9am on Friday for the East and West Midlands, the southeast, southwest and east of England, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber. Scotland, instead, is due to face clouds and outbreaks of rain, but the country has spent 12 days tackling a large blaze in the Cairngorms National Park. The fire was declared a major incident and saw hundreds of locals evacuated.
News of the hot spell has sparked wildfire warnings in England from emergency services. 'Fire and rescue services remain on alert and are continuing to prepare for renewed wildfire risk,' a National Fire Chiefs Council spokesperson said.
Expert views on vegetation and resources
Fire science lecturer Dr Zak Campbell-Lochrie explained that another heatwave with low humidity can 'continue to dry out that vegetation'. He added: 'This makes the vegetation more susceptible to an ignition source. If ignition does occur, it leads to a more rapid spread. These smaller fires can cause a significant impact and be a risk to communities, as well as a wider smoke risk. It can definitely intensify as we see further drying of vegetation.'
The lack of rain means that parts of southern, central and eastern England are so dry they are close to drought, according to the National Drought Group. The Cairngorms blaze, combined with the pressure of previous heatwaves, means that emergency services have fewer resources available to tackle any new wildfires that pop up. 'These large fire incidents are resource intensive and hard to put out,' Dr Campbell-Lochrie told Metro. 'We have already seen some challenges around air resources. Even if other fires occur which are not worrying, it is really difficult when you have that drain on resources and you’re dealing with multiple incidents at once.'
Could large wildfires occur in the UK?
Despite the challenges facing fire chiefs this week, experts do not believe the UK will face fires as large as France and Spain. That is because it is not just heat that turns fires into these types of infernos, but also the type of plants that the fire is exposed to. Dr Campbell-Lochrie explained: 'Weather is one aspect of the fire risk, but it is also about vegetation. There is a big difference in the classic Mediterranean ecosystems and the sort of ecosystems we have here and the flammability.'
Climate expert Bob Ward agrees that the UK is less at risk because Britain has 'significantly more farmland instead of natural areas'. The UK’s largest cities are also less likely to face the panic gripping Bordeaux, he said. The policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment explained: 'We do not have quite the same areas of natural vegetated areas next to a city [compared to France]. Once wildfires get to the ends of cities you cannot stop them.' Despite that, Ward recalls that London came 'very close to disaster' in July 2022 during the Wennington wildfire. The wind changed direction at the last moment and meant the capital largely avoided the blaze, although close to 20 homes were destroyed. Ward warned however that wildfires are 'only going to get worse for the next two to three decades'.
Causes and future precautions
Wildfires in the UK are largely caused by humans, whether accidental – such as cigarettes, barbecues and litter – or deliberate. Ward said that as the risk of forest blazes rises, the country 'will have to be even more strict about banning people from having fires in any kind of vegetated land in these conditions.' He added: 'Once a fire starts, particularly if it is windy, it can move so quickly and engulf large areas. Wildfires can move so incredibly fast that even people in cars cannot outpace them.' To protect cities like London, he said more will need to be done to separate buildings more clearly from large areas of vegetation.
