Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service declares major incident during heatwave

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident on Tuesday 19 July 2022 following a surge in fires in the open caused by the heatwave, the first declaration of its kind by the service in decades¹. The service was called out to a significant number of incidents that day, of which 49 were fires in the open, and it assisted colleagues across the county border, with Cambridgeshire and Norfolk also declaring a major incident³. The major incident was stood down the following day, 20 July, after a reduction in call outs, although the service remained exceptionally busy³.

Mid-July 2022 saw parts of Suffolk reach temperatures of up to 39C, and the first-ever red weather warning issued for the county². The extreme heat impacted roads, the rail network and emergency services, which came under immense pressure². Large-scale incidents included a field fire at Knodishall, a blaze at Barham involving 45 acres of crop, and a forest fire near Thetford¹.

Firefighters in Suffolk responded to more than 500 fires in the open, covering woodland, heaths, farmland and fields, during July and August 2022, compared with around 100 in the same period in 2021¹. Most of these were wildfires on farmland, in forests and woodland, or on heaths, which started accidentally due to careless behaviour². The county council says property damage was minimised and lives were saved, but the fires caused destruction of trees and wildlife, road closures, and for some farmers a loss of livelihood².

Why it matters for households

Suffolk is a predominantly rural county, so fires in the open become far more common during prolonged periods of dry weather¹. The county council says many of last summer's incidents could have been avoided by people being more careful, and that it only takes one bit of thoughtlessness, such as throwing a cigarette out of a car window, to spark a major wildfire that requires firefighters to spend hours putting it out¹. During hot and dry weather the service asks people to put litter in the bin when out and about, avoid barbecues and campfires in public open spaces, ensure cigarettes are totally put out and disposed of properly, pick up glass items rather than leaving them lying around after a picnic, and report any fires in the countryside immediately by calling 999¹. Farmers are urged to slow the spread of fires by storing hay and straw with a break between stacks and away from other buildings, especially those housing livestock or containing fuels and chemicals¹. The council also advises that anyone using a barbecue at home should keep it away from flammable materials such as sheds, fences and hedges, and keep a bucket of water near it². On open water, it says around 85% of drownings happen in open water, and points to guidance from the Royal Life Saving Society². How a major incident declaration works, and what councils do before, during and after an emergency, are set out in our guides to what it means when a major incident is declared and what your council does; background on wildfires and grass fires and on why UK summers are getting hotter and drier sits within our heatwaves and drought section.

What happens next

With more dry weather and high temperatures forecast for the following week, and Latitude Festival taking place that weekend, Suffolk residents were encouraged to reduce the risk of fire over the coming days³. The service said additional demand continued after the major incident ended, making it one of the busiest summers on record for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service².