What to Do If You See or Are Near a Wildfire

If you see a fire in the countryside, call 999 and ask for the fire service, then leave the area as quickly as possible. Do not assume someone else has already reported it. Give the operator as much information as you can about the location, the size of the fire, the terrain and anything else that seems relevant, so crews can find it and approach safely¹.

Do not try to fight it. Fire and rescue services across the UK give the same instruction: do not attempt to tackle fires that cannot be put out with a bucket of water, and leave the area as quickly as possible⁴. A developed wildfire creates its own wind, which drives it at speeds faster than people can get out of its way, and fires can change direction and jump, so judging which way it will go is not something to attempt⁴.

Most wildfires are started by people, and most of that is avoidable. In hot, dry or windy weather, do not light a fire outdoors at all, and follow any local restrictions and signage². If you are concerned about a fire near your home, there is separate advice on protecting your home and garden from a wildfire.

Call 999 and ask for the fire service as soon as you see a wildfire

The first action is always the same, whichever nation you are in. Forestry and Land Scotland says that if you see a wildfire, call 999 and ask for the Fire Service¹. The Scottish Government's Ready Scotland campaign says once you are safe, call 999 and ask for the fire service². Lancashire's preparedness service puts it more bluntly: ring 999, and do not assume someone else has³. In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service asks you to report a fire in the countryside to NIFRS immediately on 999¹².

The order matters. If the fire is close, move to a place of safety first and call 999 immediately, as Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service advises¹³. If you are already at a safe distance, call straight away. Either way, the call comes before anything else.

What to say when you get through:

• Where you are: a road name, a what3words location if you have it, a landmark, a car park or a named path. Be as precise as you can.
• What you can see: the size of the fire, whether it is grass, heath, woodland or a building, and how fast it seems to be moving.
• The terrain: slopes, tracks, gates and anything that might affect how crews reach it.
• Which way the wind is blowing, if you can tell.

Wiltshire and Swindon's preparedness service asks callers to provide as much information as they can about the location, size, terrain and any other relevant information³. That detail is what lets control rooms send the right appliances to the right access point.

Once you have called, leave. Do not stay to watch, and do not drive towards the fire to get a better look: Wiltshire and Swindon's guidance says do not travel to the area of a wildfire, as this may slow the emergency response¹⁰. If you are in a caravan or mobile home and there is a fire, get out, stay out and call the Fire and Rescue Service immediately¹². The same principle applies in a house: once you are out, stay out¹⁴.

Only tackle a fire you can put out with a bucket of water

Every fire service in the UK gives the same limit, and it is worth reading twice: do not attempt to tackle fires that cannot be put out with a bucket of water, and leave the area as quickly as possible⁴. That is not a comment on your courage or your garden hose. It is a recognition that a fire beyond that size is already behaving in ways a person on foot cannot control.

The reason is in how wildfires move. A developed wildfire creates its own wind, which drives it at speeds faster than people can get out of its way⁴. Fires spread quickly over large areas because of dry conditions, wind and the availability of flammable material such as grass, leaves and shrubs¹⁷. They also change direction and can jump, which makes them very difficult to contain⁷. A fire that looks like it is heading away from you can turn, and a fire that looks small can be the edge of something much larger behind a ridge or a hedge.

If you are in a building and a fire is approaching, the advice is the standard fire advice: get out, stay out and call the Fire and Rescue Service immediately¹². Close doors behind you if you can do so without delay, and do not go back inside for possessions.

The one situation where a bucket of water is the right tool is a small fire you have just started yourself, such as a barbecue that has caught a patch of dry grass. Even then, the priority is to stop it spreading and to call for help if it has got beyond a bucket. If you are not certain, treat it as beyond you and call 999.

Why you cannot outrun a wildfire

People often assume they can walk or drive away from a fire faster than it can travel. The guidance says otherwise. A developed wildfire creates its own wind, which drives it at speeds faster than people can get out of its way⁴. That single sentence is the reason the advice is to leave early rather than to watch and decide.

Wildfires spread quickly over large areas because of dry conditions, wind and the availability of flammable materials like grass, leaves and shrubs¹⁷. They change direction and can jump, which makes them very difficult to contain⁷. A fire can cross a track, a hedge or a line of trees and appear on the other side of you. That is what "jump" means in practice, and it is why the services do not ask the public to judge a safe distance.

The practical consequences for a household:

• Leave as soon as you are told to, or as soon as you see smoke close by. Do not wait to see how it develops.
• Do not drive towards the fire to collect someone or to look. Do not travel to the area of a wildfire, as this may slow the emergency response¹⁰.
• Follow local guidance and signage, particularly during periods of heightened wildfire risk when access restrictions may be in place¹⁰.
• If you are cut off, move to a place of safety and call 999. Do not try to tackle the fire³.

Hot, dry, windy weather: when wildfire risk is highest

Wildfire risk in the UK is not spread evenly through the year. Wildfires can spread quickly and threaten homes and infrastructure, particularly during warm, dry weather⁷. The Scottish Government's hot weather guidance notes an increased risk from uncontrolled, quickly spreading wildfires during hot weather¹⁸. Dry conditions can allow fire to spread quickly, putting lives, wildlife and property at risk¹².

The conditions that matter most are the ones that dry out vegetation and drive a fire along: high temperatures, low humidity and wind. Ready Scotland's advice is not to light a fire outdoors if there is a wildfire danger warning in place in your location, or during periods of high winds, high temperatures or low humidity². North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service asks people to follow local restrictions and fire warnings, especially during dry or windy conditions⁸.

Wildfires are a particular risk during dry weather spells, when they can be as devastating to wildlife and habitats as they are to people and property¹⁹. That is why the advice is seasonal as well as situational: the same barbecue that is fine in a wet April is a different proposition in a dry August.

The UK does not have a single national wildfire warning scale that applies everywhere. Warnings come from the fire and rescue service for your area, from the devolved governments and from local councils, and they are issued for particular places and periods. Fire and rescue services in Scotland have issued warnings for the Central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland, and separately for the eastern Highlands, eastern and southern Scotland²¹. When a warning is in place, share it with family, friends and any visitors, as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service asks²¹.

Barbecues, bonfires and naked flames in the countryside

Almost every wildfire in the UK is started by people, and the commonest culprits are the ones people bring with them: disposable barbecues, camping stoves, campfires and cigarettes. The advice from fire and rescue services is consistent and blunt.

Surrey County Council's countryside advice is to "Burger Off!" with barbecues, camping stoves and open fires in the countryside²³. Its wildfire awareness page says: don't use barbecues or camping stoves in the countryside or light an open fire, because they can quickly spread and get out of control¹⁹. Oxfordshire County Council says to avoid lighting bonfires, campfires or any open fires in the countryside, on open land, or in areas of dry grass, woodland or heath²⁴. Wiltshire and Swindon's preparedness service says do not light fires in the countryside or other open spaces, including parks, moorland and wooded areas¹⁰.

Where a barbecue is allowed, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service says only use barbecues in a suitable and safe area and never leave them unattended⁶. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says do not use disposable barbecues, campfires or fireworks on grassland, moors or in wooded areas⁸. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service advises avoiding disposable barbecues in open countryside, parks and moorland areas²⁵. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service recommends a picnic or sandwiches rather than a disposable barbecue, and says that if you do use one away from home, be very careful, as they have caused many wildfires in recent years²⁶.

If you are visiting the countryside, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service asks you to stick to paths, leave gates and property as you find them, take your litter home, especially glass bottles and jars, dispose of smoking materials carefully, and never have campfires or barbecues on dry grassland²⁰. Glass and cigarettes are worth singling out: a discarded bottle can focus sunlight, and a cigarette end can smoulder in dry grass long after the smoker has gone.

In Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland asks visitors to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code's advice and not to start fires in woodlands¹. The code's camping guidance covers not starting fires in woodlands¹. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says human behaviour can significantly lower the chances of a wildfire starting, so people should act safely and responsibly in rural environments and always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code²².

If you have had a fire of any kind, make sure it is out and the surroundings are made safe before you leave²⁷. In Northern Ireland, the fire service asks people to ensure barbecues are fully extinguished and cold before disposing of the contents²⁸.

Reporting deliberate fire-setting to the police

Some countryside fires are started deliberately. Fire and rescue services treat this as a crime and ask the public to report it. Northern Ireland's fire service says any suspicious behaviour should be reported to the police immediately²⁹. In Wales, the Fire and Rescue Services say deliberate fire setting is a crime and appeal for information on anyone deliberately setting fires to call 101, or to report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111³⁰.

There are anonymous routes too. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service asks people to anonymously report deliberate firesetting to FireStoppers³¹, and its Be Moor Aware campaign repeats the same route³². In Wales, the Fire and Rescue Services ask people to report deliberate fires and antisocial gatherings to protect the community so that emergencies can be responded to quickly²⁴.

What to report, and to whom:

• A fire that is burning now: call 999 and ask for the fire service¹.
• Suspicious behaviour, not a fire in progress: report it to the police immediately²⁹.
• Information about deliberate fire-setting after the event: call 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 in Wales³⁰, or FireStoppers anonymously³¹.

Do not approach anyone you suspect of starting a fire, and do not put yourself in the way of a fire to get a description. Report what you saw from a safe place.

Where wildfires happen in the UK, and how bad they get

Wildfires in the UK are less frequent than in some other parts of the world, but they can cause significant damage to ecosystems, disrupt communities and require a coordinated response from emergency services and land managers to control and extinguish them¹⁷. They are not confined to remote moorland. The summer 2022 heatwave saw an unprecedented number of wildfires, particularly in urban areas like London³³.

The record is a useful measure of how the risk has grown. Fire and rescue services in England and Wales had responded to 996 wildfires as of 4 September 2025, up from 994 in the 2022 drought, which was previously the worst year on record³⁴. Individual fires can run for a long time: a fire on Winter Hill near Bolton in summer 2018 burned for six weeks and affected 18 square kilometres of moorland³.

Scotland classifies a wildfire as a large, uncontrolled outdoor fire exceeding 1,000 square meters of burned area on appropriate land types³⁵. That definition is a useful guide to what the services mean by the word: not a bonfire, not a barbecue, but a fire that has escaped and is burning across open ground.

The risk is not only to open land. A wildfire can threaten homes and infrastructure⁷, and the advice for households near one is to follow local guidance and signage, and to leave when told¹⁰. If you want to reduce the risk to your property before a fire starts, see protecting your home and garden from a wildfire. For the wider picture of how hot, dry summers are changing the risk, see wildfires and grass fires: risk and prevention.

Emergency alerts and warnings: how you will be told

You may be warned about wildfire risk by an emergency alert on your phone. On 14 August 2026 the UK Government sent an emergency alert at 7:01pm to England and Wales warning of a very high national wildfire risk and advising against any fire-starting activity¹¹. Alerts of this kind go to compatible phones in the area they cover, and they are intended to reach people who are not following the news.

Beyond the national alert, warnings come from several places:

• Fire and rescue services issue wildfire warnings for their areas, often naming the regions and the period covered²¹.
• Local councils publish countryside and wildfire advice, and some impose local restrictions such as the disposable barbecue ban in Surrey¹¹.
• Land managers such as Forestry and Land Scotland publish prevention advice for visitors¹.
• Local signage on moors, in parks and at access points may restrict access during heightened risk¹⁰.

If you are concerned about wildfires near your property, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service points people to its wildfire advice and guidance to keep themselves safe³⁶. The practical step is to know which service covers your area and to check its warnings before you set out on a dry, windy day. For the wider question of how to stay informed in an emergency, see staying informed and in touch in an emergency.

If a fire seems to have gone out

A fire that looks finished may not be. Embers can smoulder under ash and flare up again, and a further grass fire can start in the same area days later. After the Wennington wildfire in East London in July 2022, a further grass fire began burning in the area three days after the main fire³⁷.

The lesson for a household is simple. If you have had a bonfire, make sure the fire is out and the surroundings are made safe before you leave²⁷. If you are out walking and see smoke or flames, even a small amount, call 999 rather than investigating. Stay calm, and give the location as precisely as you can³⁸.

If you have reported a fire and it appears to have gone out, do not assume the incident is over. Crews may still be working in the area, and access may be restricted. Follow any instructions from the emergency services and do not return to the area until you are told it is safe.