London tops U.K. wildfire detections in record 2025

LexisNexis Risk Solutions has identified London as the leading U.K. urban hotspot for wildfire detections in 2025. Its analysis found 4,659 wildfire detections across the U.K. during the year.

Based on detections recorded within 5km of city limits, the figures point to sharper urban exposure to wildfires in summer, even though spring saw the highest overall number of incidents.

By this measure, 2025 was the most severe year on record for wildfire activity in the U.K. The 4,659 detections exceeded the previous high of 3,305 in 2018 and were almost five times the 951 recorded in 2024.

London ranked first among urban areas monitored for wildfire detections near city boundaries. The publicly released material listed the top five urban locations but did not provide the full ranking beyond London's position at the top.

Seasonal shift

The data shows a seasonal pattern that differs from the common assumption that summer is the main wildfire period. In 2025, 2,635 wildfire detections were recorded in spring, compared with 1,606 in summer.

That higher spring total did not mean the greatest risk to built-up areas came earlier in the year. The analysis found that wildfires in spring and winter tend to occur almost twice as far from towns and cities on average as those recorded in summer.

As a result, summer fires moved closer to urban centres, increasing the exposure of homes, commercial property and infrastructure. For insurers, that matters because claims severity can rise when fires threaten denser concentrations of buildings and assets.

The findings come as fire services in parts of the U.K. contend with a run of wildfires during the latest heatwave. Authorities have warned of growing pressure on emergency response resources and elevated wildfire risk.

Insurance focus

For insurers, the analysis adds to a broader reassessment of climate-related property risk. Flood and subsidence have long been central to underwriting decisions in the U.K. home insurance market, but wildfire is now part of the same discussion as prolonged heat, dry ground and shifting weather patterns alter the hazard profile.

Historical wildfire data can be used in the insurance quote process and in portfolio management, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions. It said combining past fire detections with geospatial information can help insurers assess risk at the individual property level and identify where exposures are concentrated across their books of business.

The methodology relied on satellite-based wildfire detections and excluded industrial fires and low-confidence detections. The aim was to focus on events that represented genuine wildfire threats to property and infrastructure.

The dataset was drawn from VIIRS satellite data captured via the SUOMI satellite, while the underlying fire event information came from satellite monitoring available in near real time. In this context, a wildfire detection refers to a fire event identified through satellite data rather than a confirmed ground report from emergency services.

The issue has drawn increased policy attention as government spending on wildfire resilience has risen. The insurance market is also under pressure to refine risk pricing as more volatile weather affects both the frequency of incidents and the location of losses.

Caroline Elliott-Grey, Senior Product Manager, U.K. and Ireland Insurance, at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, outlined the implications for the sector.

"Understanding the risk of wildfires spreading to homes and commercial properties has become almost as important as understanding flood or subsidence risk for property insurance providers. As we move into the peak summer months, following record-breaking temperatures in June and a dry spring, it is vital that insurance providers incorporate wildfire risk assessment at an individual property level, at the point of quote, to help price insurance cover accurately and fairly.

Historical wildfire data, combined with geospatial intelligence covering weather patterns, terrain and proximity to infrastructure such as fire stations, enables insurance providers to build a location-specific view of risk. Integrating this insight into property underwriting and pricing allows for more accurate risk assessment, clearer identification of accumulations across insurance provider portfolios, and more informed decisions as climate risks continue to evolve." Elliott-Grey said.