Climate shift rewriting UK wildfire risk as wet winters feed drier summers

Scientists say this summer's 19 concurrent UK wildfires—the most widespread on record—signal a deeper climate pattern, not a one-off event. Wetter winters are growing denser vegetation; prolonged heatwaves then desiccate it into fuel. Claire Belcher of the wildFIRE Lab calls it a "firewave." The shift means fire services must plan for extended active seasons, not just peak-day surges, reshaping how the UK prepares for escalating wildfire seasons ahead.