Scotland Braces for Worst Wildfire Season in Recent History

As of September 26, 2025, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has issued an extreme wildfire warning for the entire country, the first time such an alert has been raised in September since 2020. This follows a very high warning that has been in place since the previous Wednesday.

The SFRS says Scotland has faced an "unprecedented scale" of wildfire risk in 2025, with this being the 13th such warning issued this year, the most in recent times. Experts warn that the country's prolonged drought, which has seen every month of 2025 drier than average on the east coast, has created a "tinderbox environment" where even a small spark can easily ignite a wildfire.

Several devastating wildfires have already occurred this summer, with a Highlands blaze described as the worst in Scotland's history. These fires have burned across more than 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) and caused significant damage, with thousands of animals, including curlew, grouse chicks, and hares, believed to have been killed.

The SFRS is urging the public to exercise "extreme caution" and avoid any activities involving naked flames, as human behavior can significantly lower the risk of these unpredictable and uncontrolled fires. The fire service has also warned that rural and remote communities are particularly vulnerable to the impact of these wildfires, which can cause substantial damage to the environment and release large amounts of carbon emissions.