LONDON: More than 110 wildfires have raged in the UK since the start of the year, according to satellite data released Monday, making it one of the worst years on record.
At least 111 fires have torched an area of nearly 24,500 hectares (94 square miles) across the country since January 1, according to data Monday from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
The number of wildfires and area affected by them is higher than average for this time of the year, and higher than the same period in 2024.
Only 2019 was worse in terms of the area burned (28,700 hectares) and 2022 for the number of fires (151) for the same period, according to the Press Association news agency.
Last week, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said fire and rescue services had already responded to 380 wildfires so far this year in England and Wales — more than double the same period in 2022.
The EFFIS data is based on satellite readings and only maps fires that are 30 hectares or larger — accounting for the difference with records from the local authority.
In comparison, the NFCC measures wildfires with an area of at least one hectare.
“A particularly dry March, followed by warmer-than-average temperatures in April, has seen a number of significant wildfires across the UK over the last fortnight,” the NFCC said in a statement.
The UK and Ireland had a “drier than average” March, according to Europe’s Copernicus climate monitor. Last month was also the hottest March ever recorded in Europe by a significant margin.
“With the increase in extreme weather events, we know that fire and rescue services are stretched as they seek to keep their communities safe,” said NFCC chair Phil Garrigan.
The Met Office said the fires are due to dry and breezy conditions in spring which came after a damp winter, meaning there was “fuel” for the blazes because of plant growth.
Firefighters in Northern Ireland have been battling dozens of blazes in the last week, with many residents having to evacuate homes and a weather warning for wildfires.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it attended 296 wildfires between April 3-10, many of which were thought to be started deliberately.
An “extreme” wildfire warning was issued for Scotland on Friday and Saturday, after multiple blazes broke out the previous week.
According to Michael Humphreys from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), wetter weather last year meant fewer blazes in 2024.
