Wildfires in the UK today: map, fire danger and moorland fires

Moorland, heath and grass fires in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the fire zones NASA satellites detected in the last 24 hours and 7 days, the European fire danger forecast for the UK, and the official places to check in each nation.

• Fire zone, last 24 hours
• Fire zone, earlier this week
• Shading: EFFIS high fire danger or above (Today, Mon 19 Oct; low and moderate are not shaded)

Satellite fire zones in the UK

A zone is one day of one area of about 1 degree of latitude and longitude (roughly 110 by 65 km in the UK) with 25 or more satellite heat detections. A fire burning for three days counts as three zone-days.

No satellite fire zones were recorded in the UK in the last 7 days. Smaller fires and single hotspots are not counted here; the NASA FIRMS fire map shows every detection.

Fire danger forecast for the UK

From the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service: the share of the UK in each fire danger class, by UTC day, read 19 Oct, 18:00 BST.

The Fire Weather Index rates how easily a fire would start and spread given recent temperature, humidity, wind and rain. It rates the weather only, not the state of the vegetation, and it is not a warning. Classes: Low (below 11.2), Moderate (11.2 to 21.3), High (21.3 to 38), Very high (38 to 50), Extreme (50 to 70), Very extreme (above 70). All of Europe: Europe wildfire danger forecast.

Official fire danger and wildfire warnings

This site links to these and does not copy them: the Fire Severity Index maps' terms do not allow their content to be redistributed, and the SFRS assessments have no data feed.

How to report a wildfire

1. Get away from the fire and the smoke first. In a car, close the windows and vents.
2. Call 999 and ask for the fire service. The number is the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
3. Say where it is: road names, landmarks or a location app such as what3words, how big the fire is and which way it is spreading.
4. Do not try to put it out. Leave it to firefighters and keep well back: a fire can keep smouldering or spread underground.

Steps from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Countryside Code (England and Wales) says do not light fires, only have barbecues where signs say you can, and call 999 if you see an unattended fire. In Scotland, follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The National Fire Chiefs Council's campaign: Wildfire Aware.

When UK wildfires happen

Most UK wildfires happen in spring, from March to May, with April the busiest month: dead grass, heather and bracken from the winter are dry and the new growth has not yet come through. Fires are fewer in summer but long hot, dry spells can bring large ones. This is how wildfires over 30 hectares in Scotland fell by month from 2014 to 2020:

156 wildfires in all; bars are relative to April. Source: Scottish Government, SFRS wildfire incident data analyses (2022), Table 7.1: EFFIS burnt areas over 30 hectares mapped from MODIS satellite images.

Questions

Is there a wildfire in the UK today?

No satellite fire zones (clusters of 25 or more heat detections) were recorded in the UK in the last 24 hours (checked 19 Oct, 19:55 BST). Smaller fires are not counted here. EFFIS forecasts moderate fire danger at most across the UK today. It is outside the main UK wildfire season (March to May), when little activity is normal.

Are the satellite hotspots confirmed fires?

No. NASA FIRMS detects heat from space; it cannot tell a wildfire from controlled heather and grass burning, farm burning or an industrial heat source. Controlled burning on moorland is allowed from 1 October to 15 April in England and Wales and from autumn into spring in Scotland (muirburn), so many hotspots in those months are planned burns. This site keeps only clusters of 25 or more detections in about one degree of latitude and longitude in 24 hours; single hotspots are on the NASA FIRMS map.

When is wildfire season in the UK?

Spring, from March to May, is the main season, with April the busiest month. In Scotland, 121 of the 156 wildfires over 30 hectares mapped from satellite from 2014 to 2020 were in March, April or May, 81 of them in April (Scottish Government, 2022). Fires are fewer in summer but long hot, dry spells can bring large ones.

How do I report a wildfire in the UK?

Get away from the fire and smoke first, then call 999 and ask for the fire service. Say where it is using road names, landmarks or a location app such as what3words, how big it is and which way it is spreading. Do not try to put it out. The Countryside Code says to call 999 if you see an unattended fire.

Where are the official UK wildfire warnings?

In Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service issues wildfire danger assessments with the Scottish Wildfire Forum on its website and social media. In England and Wales, the Met Office Fire Severity Index maps are on Natural England's Open Access website; the authorities use the index to decide when conditions are exceptional enough to restrict access land for fire prevention. In Northern Ireland, see the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. This site does not issue warnings.

What does the EFFIS fire danger forecast mean for the UK?

EFFIS, the European Forest Fire Information System of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, forecasts the Fire Weather Index from temperature, humidity, wind and rain. It rates the weather only, not the state of the vegetation and not whether a fire is burning, so read it alongside the official assessments above.

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Satellite fire detections: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS), grouped into zones of 25 or more detections by this site. NASA FIRMS data use. Fire danger forecast: European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Copernicus Emergency Management Service, © European Union, CC BY 4.0. Counted by country and re-drawn by this site. EFFIS data licence.