Firefighters have tackled nearly 1,000 wildfires so far this year, as a new map reveals the hotspot areas most at risk in and around Devon.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a Cobra meeting yesterday (Wednesday) with ministers, officials, and agencies amid the ongoing summer climate crisis, with highs of 33C forecast, rising to as much as 38C on Thursday.
It followed a warning from fire chiefs of the unprecedented pressure placed on services by a fifth summer heatwave and "exceptionally high" levels of wildfire activity.
National Resilience data shows that firefighters responded to 966 wildfires between January 1 and August 10 in England and Wales.
That is higher than the numbers recorded during the same period in both 2022 (748) and 2025 (848), previously two of the busiest years for wildfire activity on record.
Firefighters have responded to 185 wildfires in the first 10 days of August alone.
The figures come as drought conditions continue to worsen across the country, with more than two-thirds of England and all of Wales now officially in drought.
Now, as the climate crisis dramatically increases the risk of wildfires, data from the Moorland Association has been used to produce a map revealing the threat across the country.
The Moorland Association has used open-source data and expert analysis to assess the threat in each parliamentary constituency, using 10 indicators across three risk domains.
It shows that Tiverton and Minehead, near the Devon-Somerset border, is the most at-risk constituency in the area, and the third most at-risk in the UK.
It has been given an overall risk score of four. The highest possible score is five.
North Devon, Honiton and Sidmouth, and Torridge and Tavistock are the next most at-risk areas, but the threat is significantly lower than in Tiverton and Minehead.
The interactive map allows residents to see the threat level where they live or in areas they plan to visit on holiday.
Phil Garrigan, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), said: "We've dealt with almost 1,000 wildfires already this year.
"The combination of drought conditions and another heatwave means the risk of fires remains high, and these incidents can place huge demands on firefighters and specialist resources.
"I'd like to thank firefighters and fire and rescue staff across the country, who have been responding to a high volume of challenging incidents in extremely difficult conditions throughout the summer.
"Many wildfires are preventable, so we're asking people to be vigilant and take extra care outdoors while these conditions continue."
Fire Chiefs are urging the public to take extra care during the current hot weather, as many wildfires are caused by human activity and are preventable.
Simple actions such as disposing of cigarettes safely, avoiding the use of disposable barbecues in the countryside and taking litter home can significantly reduce the risk of fires starting.
If you notice suspicious behaviour or see someone intentionally starting a fire, contact the Police on 101 or report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
New Map Shows Devon Areas with Highest Wildfire Risk