This July was the worst on record for wildfires in England, with provisional data revealing a total of 624 wildfires. The alarming trend highlights the increasing vulnerability of the UK to climate breakdown, exacerbated by extreme heat and dry conditions that have turned large areas of the countryside into a tinderbox.
Record Wildfires in July
In total, 1,354 wildfires have been recorded in England so far this year, making 2026 the second worst year on record for wildfires. July's wildfires included a devastating blaze near the Sizewell B nuclear power station in Suffolk, which destroyed vast areas of a protected nature reserve.
According to the Met Office, the summer of 2026 has been the hottest on record, with 40 days of temperatures exceeding 30°C (86°F), surpassing the previous record of 34 days. Scientists attribute this unprecedented heat to the ongoing climate crisis driven by fossil fuel consumption.
First Recorded Death from Wildfire
This year marks a grim milestone as it is the first time since the data series began in 2010 that a death has been recorded due to a wildfire. A 70-year-old man lost his life after a fire spread in fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.
