NFCC calls for further action to tackle extreme weather events

• National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has today (Friday 23^rd August) called for further action to tackle the impact of extreme weather events, as it publishes policy position statements on wildfires, flooding and inland water safety.
• NFCC has asked the Government to consult on introducing statutory duties for flooding response and inland water safety in England, ensuring that fire and rescue services (FRSs) across the UK can provide a coordinated and effective response to these increasing risks.
• However, NFCC warned that any changes in statutory obligations must be fully underpinned by sustained funding. This comes after reports of increased extreme weather, with new national temperature records set, as well as the recent wildfires in Greece and elsewhere.

National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has published three new policy position statements calling for further action to tackle the impact of wildfires, flooding, and the effect of increased rainfall and hotter summer temperatures on inland water safety.

The frequency and magnitude of flooding is increasing due to climate change. The UK Health Security Agency estimates that approximately 6.1 million people in the UK are at significant risk of flooding, with the number expected to rise to between 9.8 million and 13.3 million by 2050.

The risk of water safety incidents is also being amplified by the effects of more extreme weather. Hotter summer temperatures can result in more people participating in water-based leisure activities or entering the water to cool down, heightening water safety risks. The summer of 2022 was the hottest on record for the UK, and, according to statistics from the National Water Safety Forum, recreational activities accounted for 58% of accidental drowning fatalities that year.

In the absence of a statutory duty to respond to these events, this is still having an impact on FRSs. Home Office data shows that in the five years ending March 2024, the average number of flooding incidents has risen by 18% and rescues or evacuations from water by English FRSs each year have risen by 69% compared to the preceding five years.

Meanwhile, wildfires are becoming increasingly common due to the prolonged warmer weather. Since 2021 there have been over 1,500 wildfires in England and Wales, with heatwaves in 2022 seeing 994 incidents in that year alone, according to Fire Service National Resilience data.

FRSs across the UK already undertake activities in response to extreme weather events. However, there is no statutory duty for FRSs in England in relation to flooding and inland water rescue, which can result in discrepancies in equipment, training and standards between FRSs. NFCC says this is also leading to inconsistent levels of safety and preparedness across the four UK nations, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already having some statutory duties in place.

Our position is that establishing statutory duties in England is not about shifting responsibility from land and site owners and managers. It is about improving the overall capability and readiness of fire and rescue authorities.

Responding to wildfires falls under the general FRS legislation to extinguish fires and is funded from core budgets, which have undergone real term cuts in recent years. NFCC’s position is that the Government should work with the sector to ensure specialist equipment and capabilities are maintained. It also called for more consistent data collection at a national level to help forecast the emerging risks, scale and impact of wildfires and other climate related events on communities.

National Fire Chiefs Council Chair, Mark Hardingham, said:

“We’re witnessing more extreme weather across the globe. The recent wildfires in Greece serve as a reminder of the impact of extreme weather. In the UK, we experienced heatwaves in 2022 which saw wildfires impact urban areas on a scale not seen before and last year Storm Babet saw hundreds of homes and businesses flooded and seven people lose their lives.

“Fire and rescue services need to be supported to respond to serious events in a coordinated and effective way.

“The absence of a statutory duty to respond to flooding and inland water incidents in England challenges our ability to ensure our services are prepared, with the appropriate equipment and training in place. It also risks there being different standards of safety depending on where you live in the UK.

“We would like to see the Government consult on introducing these changes to the legal framework, but with core budgets already under significant strain, any revisions to our statutory obligations must be met with adequate funding.

“With risks around extreme weather increasing, we need better data collection to help us develop our response and work efficiently with other agencies so that we are in the best position to protect the public.”

Notes to editor

• A copy of NFCC’s Wildfire Policy Position Statement can be found here.
• A copy of NFCC’s Flooding Policy Position Statement can be found here.
• A copy of NFCC’s Inland Water Safety Policy Position Statement can be found here.
• Since 2005, Scottish FRS has had a duty to rescue people trapped, or likely to become trapped, by water, and to protect them from serious harm in the event of serious flooding. Similar provisions were introduced in Northern Ireland in 2012 and Wales in 2017. However, Welsh FRSs have a wider ranging statutory responsibility to make provisions, as far as it is reasonable, to rescue people or protect them from serious harm in the event of an emergency involving flooding, as well as rescue people in the event of an emergency involving inland water. No similar requirements are placed on English FRSs.
• The UK Health Security Agency has noted that the frequency and magnitude of flooding and wildfires is expected to increase in the UK due to climate change. International research and analysis of UK trends shows that the number of days with very high fire danger in the UK would double, and the number of people at significant risk of flooding would increase by 61% if global temperatures increase by 2˚C. Their research on the impact of climate change on flooding can be found here and on wildfires can be found here.
• Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows the number of people in the UK significantly at risk of flooding is projected to increase, 61% by 2050 under a modest warming scenario (increase of 2°C) and 118% in a high warming scenario (increase of 4°C) to 9.8 million and 13.3 million people respectively. This information can be found here.
• Data from the National Water Safety Forum shows that between 2019 and 2023, there were an average of 625 water-related fatalities in the UK each year; there were 659 in 2023 – the highest figure recorded in 10 years. This information can be found here.
• Data from the Home Office shows that in the 5 years ending March 2024, the number of flooding incidents and rescues or evacuations from water by English FRSs have risen by 18% and 69% respectively compared to the preceding 5 years. This information can be found here and here.
• Data from the NFCC National Resilience national reporting tool shows that, since 2021, there have been over 1,500 wildfires in England and Wales, with heatwaves in 2022 seeing 994 incidents in that year alone. Data available on request.
• There is currently a lack of consistency in how certain FRS incident types are recorded, and some incident types are bundled together which makes drawing out trends nationally very difficult. There are also inconsistent definitions in use across Government departments and agencies, particularly regarding wildfires which are often conflated with outdoor fires.
• The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC support fire and rescue services to continually improve, helping them to save lives and keep their local communities safe. NFCC are a charity and a membership association supporting and representing the UK Fire and Rescue Service. Founded in 1941, NFCC was established as a company and charity in 1998 as The Chief Fire Officers’ Association, transforming into the NFCC in 2017.