UK Wildfires in 2026 Top All of Last Year's Record by Mid-August

By mid-August 2026, England and Wales surpassed 1,017 wildfires — the full-year record set in 2025. Fire services declared 11 major incidents on August 13 alone. The prime minister called Britain "a tinderbox." Military units backed stretched crews in southern England. Two consecutive record years point to a pattern, not a one-off.