Wildfires Have Cost the UK Nearly Half a Billion Pounds So Far in 2025, Says Moorland Association

New figures reveal that wildfires have cost the UK over £460 million this year.

The figure is based on data showing that more than 46,000 hectares of land have burned across the UK in 2025, making it the worst year on record for wildfires.

Using an average wildfire cost of £10,000 per hectare as identified in this research paper, this puts the total cost at over £460 million so far this year.

To put that into context, £460 million is the same amount announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 for strengthening the UK’s pandemic preparedness and health protection infrastructure - investing in high-tech laboratories and replenishing PPE and vaccine stocks.

The paper includes costings for small, medium and severe wildfires and accounts for the full impact, such as:

• the cost of firefighting and emergency response

• damage to land, wildlife, and carbon-rich peat

• wildfire smoke pollution and health impacts

• infrastructure repairs and post-fire restoration

• lost farming, tourism and water quality

Andrew Gilruth, Chief Executive of the Moorland Association, said:

“Wildfires in 2025 have already surpassed anything we’ve seen before, both in cost and in the scale of damage. These fires are destroying habitats, releasing vast amounts of carbon and leaving communities to pick up the bill. Unless we change course, this will become the new normal.

We need to support land managers and gamekeepers in reducing vegetation fuel loads by letting them use traditional practices like controlled burning and grazing, both are vital tools for preventing catastrophic wildfires and safeguarding our uplands for the future.”

📧 Keep updated on all moorland issues - sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter.