Hotter, drier periods, combined with changes in vegetation growth, can create the right conditions for fires to start and spread quickly. For homeowners and businesses, this means wildfire should be seen as an emerging property and continuity risk, rather than something that only affects remote rural areas.
What homeowners and businesses need to know
Why are wildfires happening in the UK?
In the UK, most wildfires do not occur naturally and are instead caused by everyday human activity. Common causes include unattended barbecues and campfires, discarded cigarettes or litter, controlled burns that spread beyond their intended area, and deliberate fire-setting.
At the same time, environmental conditions are making it easier for fires to start and spread. The Met Office explains that fire risk is influenced by three key factors: ignition, available fuel and weather conditions. Hot, dry weather can dry out vegetation, while wetter winters can encourage plant growth that later becomes fuel during dry spells.
This means even a small spark can escalate quickly, particularly in areas with dry grass, heathland, moorland, and woodland.
Why wildfires matter beyond rural areas
Wildfires can affect more than just open land, they can impact:
- Homes and outbuildings.
- Businesses and infrastructure.
- Transport routes and utilities.
- Local air quality and health.
They are becoming a more consistent and evolving risk, rather than isolated events. A wildfire can also create wider disruption through smoke, road closures, evacuation, damage to utilities and restricted access to affected areas.
If your property is near open land, woodland, farmland, heathland or even large green spaces, it is important to understand your exposure and consider whether your current prevention measures and insurance cover remain suitable.
Are wildfires covered by home insurance?
Wildfire damage is typically considered under the fire section of buildings, contents and commercial property insurance policies. However, as the risk develops, it is increasingly important to check that your cover reflects your current property, location and reinstatement needs.
For homeowners, this means ensuring buildings and contents sums insured remain accurate. Rebuild costs can change over time, so relying on an outdated valuation may increase the risk of being underinsured. It is also worth considering outbuildings, garages, fencing, garden structures and alternative accommodation needs if the property could not be occupied after a fire.
For businesses, underinsurance is also an issue and can create a significant financial issue after a loss. If sums insured are too low, customers may not receive the full amount needed to repair, rebuild or recover. Regularly reviewing valuations, rebuild costs, stock levels, equipment values and business interruption assumptions can help reduce this risk.
The impact may go beyond physical damage to buildings, stock, equipment or machinery. A wildfire could interrupt trading, prevent staff or customers from accessing premises, disrupt supply chains, or require temporary relocation. Business interruption cover is therefore an important consideration, particularly the adequacy of the sum insured and the indemnity period.
Businesses operating near open land, woodland or rural areas may also face evolving risk assessments, as insurers increasingly consider location, surrounding vegetation, site access, emergency response arrangements and the resilience of key services when underwriting fire exposure.
Can lightning cause a wildfire?
Lightning strikes in London in June were a reminder that storms can also create fire risk. In the UK, most wildfires are still caused by human activity, but lightning should not be ignored as an ignition source, particularly where it strikes dry grass, heathland, woodland or other combustible vegetation.
The Met Office explains that wildfires depend on three things: an ignition source, available fuel and weather conditions. Lightning can provide the spark, while hot, dry and windy weather can dry out vegetation and help a fire spread quickly once it has started.
This is why lightning becomes more relevant during dry periods. A strike that may cause limited damage in wet conditions could have a much greater impact if surrounding vegetation is dry enough to catch fire. In areas close to open land, woodland, farmland or large green spaces, a lightning-ignited fire could spread beyond the original strike point and affect nearby homes, businesses and infrastructure.
For homeowners, this means thinking about both direct lightning damage and the wider wildfire risk that could follow if a strike ignites nearby vegetation. Properties close to open land, woodland, heathland, farmland or large green spaces may be more exposed, especially during hot and dry weather. Homeowners should consider whether buildings, contents, outbuildings, fencing, garden structures and alternative accommodation needs are adequately covered.
For businesses, a lightning-related wildfire could create both property damage and operational disruption. Fire may damage buildings, stock, machinery, vehicles, outdoor storage, utilities or site infrastructure. Even where premises are not directly affected by flames, smoke, road closures, evacuation, power interruption or restricted site access could still interrupt trading.
How to reduce wildfire risk
Taking preventative action is one of the most effective ways to reduce both the likelihood of a wildfire and the potential size of any loss. The aim is to reduce ignition sources, limit combustible material, improve emergency response and keep insurance arrangements up to date.
At home
For businesses
Businesses should also consider developing a wildfire-specific emergency response plan. This should include clear evacuation routes, communication procedures, employee responsibilities, contact details for key suppliers and arrangements for continuing operations where possible.
Reviewing the existing Fire Risk Assessment, providing clear evacuation and fire safety training, and ensuring suitable equipment such as fire blankets and fire extinguishers is available can also help reduce potential losses. However, employees should not be expected to tackle a wildfire themselves and the priority should always be to move people to safety and contact the emergency services.
While wildfires remain less common in the UK than in some other parts of the world, the risk is evolving. Homeowners and businesses can improve their resilience by understanding their exposure, reducing preventable fire risks and reviewing their insurance arrangements regularly.
If you’re unsure whether your cover remains suitable, speak to your insurance broker and check local fire service guidance so you’re better prepared to protect your property, people and operations.
