UK fire and rescue services are responding to a high number of wildfires amid unusually hot conditions during the summer of record heatwaves. The National Fire Chiefs Council says its services have handled 966 wildfires this year, with the majority of incidents occurring during peak hot-weather periods.
According to the reported figures, almost half of the fires are recorded in July. The mapping coverage ties the rise in incidents to the extreme heat that affects vegetation and increases the risk of fires spreading. Outlets present the information as an overview of where fires occur and how incident numbers cluster by month, using the fire chiefs’ year-to-date statistics as the primary reference point.
