The UK faces an increasing risk of wildfires. Just last week the Met Office issued a red warning for wildfires that covered an expansive area. It was followed by a fire in Walthamstow where one house was destroyed, thirty gardens and a railway embankment were affected. There were no injuries. The London Fire Brigade was able to send twenty fire engines and 125 fire fighters to bring the blaze under control within four hours.
On 15 July 2022, the Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning. On the 19th of July, forty houses in East London were lost to wildfires. Eighteen were in Wennington, where over 200 people were displaced. The incident was exacerbated by low water pressure and an unprecedented number of callouts on the fire brigade on that day – 2469 calls and 359 incidents (Havering London Borough). 26 fires that day required four or more fire engines.
Fires spread fast when conditions are dry. They feed on wooden fencing, garden sheds, guttering, fascias and window frames. Claire Taylor, a mother of three who lost her home in Wennington said her home was gone “within two minutes” (The Guardian).
The Ordnance Survey estimates that 1.8 million homes in the UK are at risk of wildfires. They sit at the edge of urban-rural areas. Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Essex, Kent, and Lancashire have the highest number of homes at risk. But as we have seen with the Walthamstow fire, anywhere is at risk.
One reason the fire in Walthamstow was the weather conditions prevailing at the time. “A good practical indication as to whether fire behaviour will become extreme is the 30-30-30 rule. The three figures are the measurement of wind speed in km/h, temperature in centigrade and relative humidity as a percentage of air moisture content.” (Scottish Government Fire Rescue Service). It has been hot and windy in the UK.
Dr Elizabeth Rapoport, whose home is near the fire location in Walthamstow says “This is one of many such incidents that are going to become increasingly common in our new climate and we are nowhere near ready. We need to get ready, and we need to start now.” She recommends that everyone reads David Shukman’s book ‘The Response: A Story of Fire and Flood in Britain’s New World of Extremes’, “which lays out exactly how unprepared we are for this”.
David Shukman’s concern is that “there’s no system for warning people that a wildfire might conceivably start near their homes or for guiding them if they have to evacuate”. The Met Office ‘Daily Hazard Assessment’ is not available to the general public. Making this type of information available would help households and local authorities assess the risk, in a similar way to weather warnings.
Wildfires are no longer ‘far away’. They are on our doorstep and likely to increase with the UK’s changing climate. Recent events show that every community has a part to play in reducing that risk. With better planning and improved access to information, the UK still has time to adapt. Find out how you can reduce your carbon footprint with our free training for small businesses.
“Ultimately, this is about long-term resilience. With better data and insights, councils and policymakers can make more informed decisions – from where to build and configure new homes and infrastructure to how we better defend what already exists.” – Duncan Moss OBE, Principal Consultant at OS, and Co-Chair of the Natural Hazards Partnership Hazard Impact Science to Services Group