UK fire chiefs have warned that the country is unprepared for the escalating impacts of climate breakdown and urged the government to take immediate action to safeguard communities.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) emphasised that fire services’ ability to handle weather-related emergencies is under threat, despite often being the first responders to severe weather events such as flooding, heatwave-induced fires, and storm-related incidents—all of which are becoming more frequent.

The NFCC, representing fire and rescue leaders across the UK, called for increased investment and better access to long-term weather forecasting. This support would enable fire services to maintain routine operations while coping with the significant resource and staffing demands posed by extreme weather events. The organisation highlighted the growing pressure on fire and rescue workers, who are frequently required to go “above and beyond” in managing crises.

Recent examples include Storm Babet in October 2023, which flooded over 1,000 homes and resulted in three fatalities, and Storm Darragh in December, which claimed two lives.

January saw Storm Éowyn break wind speed records, causing widespread damage, especially in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

The Met Office forecasts that by 2070, UK winters could be up to 4.5°C warmer and 30% wetter than in 1990, while summers may become up to 6°C warmer and 60% drier. The south of England could experience temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F), with rainfall increasing by 25%.

The NFCC chair, Mark Hardingham, said: “Watching the devastation caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles and the number of recent flooding incidents we have seen in the UK, it is impossible not to be concerned about the very real and immediate threat climate change poses to our planet and what that will mean for our communities in the future.

“Fire and rescue services are on the frontline of responding to extreme weather events and we see firefighters, control officers and other emergency service partners repeatedly going above and beyond to protect their communities. But we are seeing the risks around extreme weather increasing and, without adequate investment and further action from government, our capacity to keep communities safe and protect infrastructure is at risk.”

Beyond emergency response, fire crews play a vital role in local resilience forums—multiagency groups comprising representatives from emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, the Environment Agency, and others. There are 38 such forums in England and four in Wales, with similar systems in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These groups coordinate planning, preparation, and recovery efforts during emergencies.

Ben Brook, the chief fire officer for Warwickshire and the NFCC lead on environment and climate change, said: “Fire and rescue services form part of local resilience forums and work collaboratively with partners to plan for and respond to extreme weather events.

“However, we are concerned that fire and rescue services and local resilience forums do not have access to accurate data analysis mechanisms and the expertise to use this for predictive modelling which would allow for longer-term forecasting and risk management planning. We have also found that local resilience forums are under-resourced and lack clarity when it comes to their climate change resilience role.”

The NFCC has called for a review of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and the UK government’s resilience framework to better address the escalating risks posed by climate change. These regulations currently guide national emergency planning and prevention.

The severity of the situation was highlighted in 2022 when London firefighters faced their busiest day since World War II due to a heatwave. Major incidents were also declared in Leicestershire and South Yorkshire, which battled fires triggered by prolonged hot and dry weather in July. That year, England and Wales recorded 983 wildfires—an increase of 315% from 2021 and 573% compared to 2020.