Forestry England and fire service issue wildfire warning as extreme heat grips South West

Forestry England and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are urging people to avoid lighting fires or barbecues in forests and woodlands as the South West experiences another period of exceptionally hot weather and an increased risk of wildfires.

With the UK experiencing its third heatwave of the summer, prolonged dry conditions combined with rising temperatures and stronger winds have prompted the Met Office's Natural Hazards Partnership to issue an Extreme wildfire alert.

The warning comes as fire crews report an increasing number of preventable incidents caused by human activity, with officials stressing that even a discarded cigarette or disposable barbecue can quickly ignite dry vegetation and lead to a fast-moving wildfire.

Fire can spread rapidly above and below ground, travelling through vegetation and even underground through dry soil before emerging elsewhere, making wildfires particularly difficult to contain.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has already attended a number of woodland fires this summer, while last year crews responded to 51 incidents in woods and forests across the region. Several were caused by carelessness, including at least one barbecue that had not been properly extinguished.

Forestry England, which manages more than 1,500 woods and forests across England and welcomed over 313 million visits during 2024/25, says a single careless act can have devastating long-term consequences for wildlife and habitats.

Katy Mansell, Forestry England Area Manager, said: “While hot, sunny weather feels like the perfect time to get together with friends and family in nature, I can’t overstate the danger of lighting BBQs and fires in the countryside. Each time we manage to safely extinguish a forest fire, we feel very thankful that the outcome wasn’t a very different story. Forest fires put lives at risk, destroy habitats, kill wildlife, and put our emergency services in harm’s way. It’s incredibly sad that, in many cases, this could be entirely prevented by treating the countryside more responsibly. Even now, Forestry England is still working to restore hundreds of hectares of wildlife habitat at Wareham Forest in Dorset, which was burned due to human behaviour in 2020. It will take decades to make up for one moment of carelessness.

“Our plea to you is very simple: help us care for the countryside by never lighting a fire or BBQ in the forest.”

The warning follows several significant wildfires in recent years, including the major blaze at Woodbury Common in East Devon in 2017, which required one of the largest firefighting operations in the county's history.

Ian Donnovan, a wildfire specialist at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Every year we see so many preventable wildfires caused by people lighting fires and BBQs in the countryside. Wildfires can begin with just a spark, or a gust of wind blowing a BBQ flame. Wildfires can take many days to extinguish have an impact our wildlife, ecosystems, and local communities.

“Wildfires take resources away from other emergencies. Residents might remember the resource intensive fire at Woodbury Common in April 2017. That incident was attended by more than 200 firefighters and 30 fire engines (approximately a quarter of the entire fleet) to fight the fire.”

Members of the public are being asked to help reduce the risk by never lighting fires or barbecues in forests or the wider countryside, taking all litter home, and disposing of smoking materials responsibly.

Anyone who discovers a fire is urged not to attempt to tackle it themselves. Instead, they should move to a place of safety immediately and call 999.

For more information about visiting Forestry England sites safely, visit forestryengland.uk