The Wennington Wildfire 3 years on

On 19 July 2022, during the 2022 heatwave, a compost bin spontaneously combusted. Unfortunately, unknown to the residents, this area was highly susceptible to wildfires, and it quickly became one of the UK’s most devastating wildfire incidents in UK history to impact property. Without warning, it rapidly spread across 40 hectares and destroyed 17 houses along with residents’ lifetime possessions.

Figure 1 In July 2022 the UK experienced a severe heat wave with conditions that were exceptionally hot and dry. A wildfire in Wennington, London, spread across 40 hectares and destroyed 17 houses.

Historically, when wildfires have occurred in the UK, they have tended to be limited to moorland or upland areas. Urban areas neighbouring specific habitats, such as gorse and heath, are a cause for concern, such as common land areas. Some examples of this in the South East can be found around Yateley, Sandhurst, and Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood.

The acceleration of climate change is substantially increasing the risk to our urban areas. The risk is greater in areas of poor habitat condition, creating fuel for fire to catch. This happens when wetter winters promote vegetation growth, and drier springs and summers dry out vegetation, resulting in a higher fuel load, as seen in the spring of 2025. Dry weather leads to increased human activity outdoors where the use of BBQs, and fire camps create additional risks. Windier weather pushes the oxygen needed to cause wildfires to spread rapidly, as witnessed in Scotland¹.

Several wildfires occurred back in July 2022 around London (the London Fire Brigade claimed it as their busiest period since World War 2). This was caused by drought, high temperatures, dry vegetation, and high fuel load. Wennington is situated at the rural-urban interface, as it is not densely urbanized (with sealed surfaces such as tarmac and concrete), which makes it more susceptible to the spread of wildfire. In fact, analysis by Burton. C et al2 also reveals a 6-fold increase in the probability of very high fire weather in the UK due to human influence, driven by poor land conditions.

Figure 2 Habitats within the region include grassland, cropland, marshland and peri-urban landscapes

Map Impact understands this risk. We uniquely utilise our understanding of habitat and biodiversity in BiodiversityView to assess the condition of the land and its potential to produce fuel, as well as its susceptibility to ignition by human influence, among many other key datasets that help inform the risk, such as soil moisture content, land surface temperature, and a model of historic wildfires.

Figure 3 Map Impact’s BiodiversityView shows the habitats to be in generally poor condition

These underlying data provide key insights into our WildfireView product, which is designed to help our customers understand the hazards and potential risks associated with wildfires. The availability of robust and current data allows individuals and organisations to make informed and strategic decisions to reduce financial and personal risks. The type of land cover (figure 2) and its condition (figure 3), as mapped by Map Impact, indicate multiple origination points of wildfire and show where it may spread. Being aware of this nearby risk will allow property owners and authorities to take preparatory steps to reduce the potential impact. Our data also includes forward looking climate predictions from the UK Met Office, based on how the risk changes if the climate continues to warm over the next 30 to 50 years.

The increased risk associated with climate change is one of the reasons solicitors are being advised to consider wildfire as part of the conveyancing process, as a wildfire outbreak can now lead to catastrophic loss. The Law Society Practice Note now recommends that the legal profession consider wildfire risk as best practice to help inform potential property buyers. As a result, and to support solicitors in advising their clients on the risk, our data is now used in conveyancing reports such as those provided by Martello³.

Figure 4 Map Impact’s WildfireView directly links underlying landscape condition to wildfire susceptibility.

This month, as we approach the third anniversary of the Wennington wildfire, we are once again faced with similar extreme hot and dry conditions. The UK still has work to do on its strategy for tackling these incidents. Developing a deeper understanding of the areas most susceptible to these flashpoints is the first step. And in all of this, we must remember there is a human element. The residents of Wennington, many of whom lost their homes, are still facing significant challenges. The situation was further complicated by the fact that some houses had no insurance, especially if they had no insurance and were in the middle of the terrace. This meant that houses either side of the uninsured property had substantial delays in rebuilding as the middle house couldn’t cover the cost for their rebuild⁴,

Reconstruction has also been slow. While demolition of destroyed homes began in 2023, many residents were told they wouldn’t be able to return for at least a year. Others have been caught in insurance disputes or facing unexpected rebuilding costs, including planning fees and levies typically applied to new developments⁵.

Figure 5 Left Sentinel 2 Satellite image showing Wennington 4 days before wildfire event (15th July 2022), Right Satellite image showing after wildfire with burn scar (9th August 2022)

Some elderly residents were unsure whether they would live long enough to meet the conditions for tax exemptions tied to rebuilding.

However, from the ashes, there are some positives: the community raised over £30,000 to support those in need, and the local council made a concerted effort to find alternative accommodation and provide mental health and trauma support. The residents are finally in their new homes.

In response to the Wennington incident, Havering Council has been working with the London Fire Brigade to implement fire prevention strategies, including creating fire breaks, clearing overgrowth, and discouraging the use of disposable barbecues.

Deputy Commissioner Charlie Pugsley of the London Fire Brigade said in a 2025 statement “Extended periods of hot and dry weather can greatly increase the risk of a grass fire and particularly when that grass is tinder dry, the spread of fire can be rapid. We have seen examples of this in London as well as more recently worldwide, such as in California and South Korea……it is vital we all do what we can to protect those areas ahead of periods of hot and dry weather.”

Since the Wennington incident, the London Fire Brigade has focused on training and investment in wildfires, including specialised fire trucks6. The London Fire Brigade cannot visit every single landowner in London to assess the risk; fortunately, Map Impact can help identify areas of the highest risk of ignition.

At Map Impact, we detect the susceptibility of wildfires, and as demonstrated in the figure above, our data aligns with the susceptibility of the Wennington location to wildfire.

Using data insights derived from WildfireView, we can help emergency services and households understand and mitigate the risk of wildfire taking hold. Our current data indicates that the risk is still present, but it can now be understood and addressed to prevent it from having the same impact if it were to happen again. It’s essential to consider how wildfires impact the entire property lifecycle. The insurance industry would like planners to carefully consider the location of homes when building near areas susceptible to fire, and to ensure that any such areas have fire management plans in place, similar to the consideration given for areas susceptible to flooding. Conveyancers also should inform people about wildfire risk before they purchase a property, so potential property owners are forearmed and forewarned. Knowing the risks and how to respond means people can adapt and reduce the risk of wildfire affecting their property and possessions. Map Impact Wildfire data insights enable the assessment of risk and adaptation accordingly. Insight into conditions now and our potential future is key to adapting to our changing climate. When conditions change and the media lose interest, we must not forget that the risk remains. “A wildfire in itself is a long-tail event… very low likelihood, but very high consequence… and then when the cameras disappear, we don’t really hear much about it.”, Oliver Baldock Director, Ashfield Environmental Risk Consultancy. Ashfield has been involved in Wennington since 2023 as part of the housing rebuild programme.

Post written by Map Impact, July 2025

References

¹ Warning of ‘very high’ wildfire risk across Scotland – BBC News 
² Chantelle Burton et al 2025 Environ. Res. Lett. 20 044003DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/adb764 
³ Martello
⁴ Revealed: Several fire-destroyed Wennington homes were uninsured | The Standard
⁵ Homeowners charged extra £10,000 by council to rebuild houses gutted by wildfire
⁶ https://wwwnsuondon.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/risk-wildfires