| 2018 United Kingdom wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Annotated view of the Saddleworth Moor fire on 27 June, taken by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite | |
| Date(s) | 24 June 2018 – 3 September 2018 |
| Statistics[1] | |
| Burned area | Over 9,000 acres (3,642 ha) |
| Land use | Agriculture, tourism |
| Impacts | |
| Structures destroyed | Damage to structures at Sheffield Ski Village;[2] 50 homes evacuated in Greater Manchester |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Hot and dry conditions Arson (Winter Hill) |
Starting on 24 June 2018 and continuing throughout the summer, a record-breaking series of wildfires burned across the United Kingdom. The two largest fires, which were declared major incidents, burned over 7 square miles (4,480 acres; 18 km2) each and broke out on Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester and Winter Hill in Lancashire.[3][4] Other large fires broke out in Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland (640 acres), Epping Forest, in London and in the Vale of Rheidol in Ceredigion, Wales. The Saddleworth Moor fire has been described as the largest English wildfire in living memory.[5] Most of the wildfires occurred during the first official heatwave in the United Kingdom since June 2017, with temperatures reaching above 30 °C (86 °F) for several days, making the hottest June in the country since 1995,[6] and the driest June for over ten years in large parts of the United Kingdom, exacerbating the crisis.[6] A wildfire started on the Staffordshire Moorlands on 9 August and, despite rain, had spread to cover 219 acres by 11 August.[7] Some hot spots were still burning as at 22 August.[8] In total, there were 79 fires over the course of the year, a new record. However, the record was beaten in 2019 with 96 fires as of April 23.[9]
- ^ Smith, Rory (27 June 2018). "Saddleworth Moor fire prompts evacuations near Manchester". London: CNN. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ Aspden-Kean, Lucy (4 September 2018). "Sheffield Ski Village hit by another arson attack ahead of £22.5 million redevelopment". The Telegraph.
- ^ Mullen, Tom (28 June 2018). "Fire-ravaged moors community rallies round". BBC News. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Winter Hill moorland fire 'under control'". BBC News. 16 July 2018.
- ^ Shute, Joe; Manteigas, Bruno (3 August 2018). "Europe in flames". The Telegraph.
- ^ a b "Fire crews still tackling blaze at Glenshane gorse fire". BBC News. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ Alsager Fire Station [@AlsagerFS] (12 August 2018). "We spent yesterday dealing with the #RoachesFire alongside teams from @StaffsFire and @DerbyshireFRS. After a calm morning ensued a period of intense activity as the wind began to worsen fire spread across the north of the moor. 219 acres involved in fire. #E14P1 #OneTeam 🔥🚒" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 November 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Staffordshire Wildlife Trust [@StaffsWildlife] (22 August 2018). "Please be aware that the road to the Roaches and access onto the reserve will remain closed until after the Bank Holiday and into next week. Hot spots in the peat are still burning" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Vaughan, Adam (23 April 2019). "The UK has already had more wildfires in 2019 than any year on record".