London was the UK's biggest urban wildfire hotspot in 2025, as satellite data recorded the highest level of wildfire activity on record, according to analysis from LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

The data and analytics provider said 4,659 wildfire detections were recorded across the UK during 2025 – exceeding the previous record of 3,305 set in 2018 and almost five times the 951 recorded in 2024.

The findings come as the UK experiences its fourth heatwave of the year following record June temperatures.

Spring, rather than summer, recorded the highest number of wildfire detections in 2025, with 2,635 compared with 1,606 during the summer. However, summer wildfires were typically much closer to towns and cities, increasing the potential risk to homes, businesses and infrastructure and raising the likelihood of more severe insurance claims.

Caroline Elliott-Grey, senior product manager for UK and Ireland insurance at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said: “Understanding the risk of wildfires spreading to homes and commercial properties has become almost as important as understanding flood or subsidence risk for property insurance providers. As we move into the peak summer months, following record-breaking temperatures in June and a dry spring, it is vital that insurance providers incorporate wildfire risk assessment at an individual property level, at the point of quote, to help price insurance cover accurately and fairly.

“Historical wildfire data, combined with geospatial intelligence covering weather patterns, terrain and proximity to infrastructure such as fire stations, enables insurance providers to build a location-specific view of risk. Integrating this insight into property underwriting and pricing allows for more accurate risk assessment, clearer identification of accumulations across insurance provider portfolios, and more informed decisions as climate risks continue to evolve.”

The analysis is based on VIIRS satellite data and excludes industrial fires and low-confidence detections to focus on genuine wildfire threats to property and infrastructure.

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