The UK’s First “Mega Fire” — What It Means for Fire Safety Professionals

In June 2025, the UK witnessed what is being labelled its first official “mega fire” — a wildfire burning in excess of 10,000 hectares — when a blaze swept across the peatlands and forests between Dava Moor and Carrbridge in Scotland. The Times+3The Times+3Yahoo News+3 For fire safety professionals — including building managers, risk assessors, landlords and facilities teams — this event sends a clear signal: fire risk is evolving, and our frameworks must evolve accordingly. Below we examine the incident, pull out key lessons, and discuss how organisations responsible for fire safety should respond.

What happened — a brief overview

  • The wildfire in the Scottish Highlands covered more than 10,000 hectares, meeting the European definition of a “mega fire” (over 10,000 ha). Yahoo News+2The Times+2

  • Scientists highlighted that the extreme fire behaviour was driven by unusually dry living vegetation — not just dead fuel loads — making the fire spread rapidly and in ways that challenge conventional thinking about UK fire seasons. The Times

  • The timing and scale of the fire were unprecedented in the UK context, and the event is being used as a wake-up call that wildfires of this magnitude may become more likely under changing climate and land‐use conditions. The Scottish Sun

Why this matters to fire-safety professionals

While this event is a landscape/peatland wildfire, several of its characteristics have direct relevance to built environment fire safety and the role of the “responsible person” (RP) in buildings:

1. Changing risk profiles
Historically, in the UK, significant wildland fire risk was viewed as largely peripheral to most building-fire safety regimes. Now, when entire regions can face extreme fire conditions, the ambient risk environment around buildings (especially rural, semi-rural or exposed sites) changes. As an RP you need to think beyond internal fire systems: what external risks exist (e.g., wildfires, exposure to peat fires, smoke ingress, secondary ignition) and how do they impact your building’s safety plan?

2. Fuel- and condition-dynamics are shifting
The fact that living vegetation became so dry it became fuel underlines that fire risk is not just about old infrastructure or obvious combustible items — it’s about changing conditions. For buildings, this means your risk assessments should consider dynamic external factors (drought, heatwaves, unchecked vegetation, external cladding materials, external storage) as well as internal systems.

3. Scale and resilience become more critical
When fires of mega scale become possible, the conventional fire-safety mindset (localised fire, compartmentation, internal alarm and escape systems) may prove insufficient if the scenario expands beyond the immediate building. For example: smoke from distant wildfires, disruptions to water supplies, access problems for fire services, or evacuation routes compromised by external fire events. RPs and organisations must build resilience: plans for business continuity, external hazards, coordination with local fire and emergency services.

4. Evolving regulation and stakeholder expectation
While this event is not a building-fire per se, it reflects the broader shift in expectations around fire safety and risk management. Regulators, insurers and boards are increasingly aware of the “large scenario” risks — and those responsible for buildings will find that their duties may expand accordingly (including awareness of third-party risks, neighbourhood hazards, external site preparation and vegetation management).

5. Communication and perception matter
One of the less tangible but vital outcomes of such an event is the impact on public perception and occupant confidence. When the news headlines a “mega fire”, occupants, tenants and stakeholders may ask: “Are we safe? Is someone looking at external threats too?” RPs must therefore include stakeholder communication, occupant-information and visible evidence of risk-management beyond simply stating “we have fire doors and alarms”.

Practical steps for building fire safety professionals

Here are some actionable steps for RPs, fire-safety advisors and building managers in light of this development:

  • Review your external hazard audit — Don’t just look at internal fire risks. Ask: What vegetation or land is adjacent to the building? Is there potential for wild-fire spread, peat-fire ignition, or smoke‐hazard ingress? How is the access for fire service, and could external fire affect escape routes or utilities?

  • Update your fire risk assessment (FRA) — Incorporate scenario analysis that accounts for high-magnitude external fire events. If your building is in a semi-rural or exposed location, ensure the FRA includes external fire hazards, extended smoke impact, water supply vulnerabilities, and a plan for liaising with local fire services.

  • Enhance resilience and contingency planning — Recognise that a mega fire may disrupt services, impair access or require evacuation beyond the immediate building. Ensure your business-continuity plans, emergency procedures and occupant briefing reflect this. Consider backup utilities, alternative escape route planning, and clear responsibilities.

  • Work on vegetation and site management — If your site includes land, shrubbery, woodland, external amenity space, or is near wildland areas: ensure vegetation is managed, combustible materials are kept clear, clear fire-breaks or buffer zones are maintained, and any combustible external storage is minimised.

  • Communicate with occupants and stakeholders — Make sure tenants, staff and users of the building understand that fire-safety strategy includes external hazards. Provide visible assurance: regular reviews, visible maintenance, briefings or information sheets about what the building does to prepare for broad-scale hazard events.

  • Liaise with local fire services and emergency planners — Given the increasing likelihood of large-scale fires, ensure you are connected with your local fire and rescue service (FRS), that they are aware of your building’s vulnerabilities, and that any external hazard (wildfire, peat fire, moorland fire) is on your risk radar.

  • Monitor changing regulation and risk intelligence — Fire-safety regulation may evolve to reflect broader hazard landscapes (including wildfires, climate-driven fire risk, external environment). Stay ahead: subscribe to fire-safety updates, risk-analysis publications, and ensure your team is aware of emerging hazard types.

Why the role of the Responsible Person is even more important

For organisations such as Fletcher Risk working with private landlords, commercial property owners and community organisations, this shift in risk environment underscores the importance of clarity around responsibility. The RP under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O) must ensure that all hazards — internal and external — are considered, fire-safety measures are suitable and sufficient, and that ongoing review and maintenance happen. RPs cannot afford to assume risk is only internal or under “normal UK conditions”.

In an era where the UK is now capable of “mega fires”, the building fire safety professional must think systemically: building, surrounds, environment, services, escape, evacuation, continuity. The stakes are higher, the scenario broader, and the oversight more holistic.

Final thoughts

The Scottish mega fire of 2025 is a wake-up call for fire-safety professionals in the UK. It tells us that the hazards we once viewed as “outside our building” may now be intimately linked to our building’s safety profile. The role of the RP, the content of the fire risk assessment, the vegetation management, the external hazard audit, the contingency-planning — all need to evolve accordingly.

If you’re responsible for a building, or part of the fire-safety or facilities-management team, now is the time to ask: “Have we considered external large-scale fire risk? Are our plans robust enough to deal with a major external fire event?”

If you’re unsure, or would like expert support in reviewing your external-hazard risk, updating your FRA or enhancing your resilience against new-era fire threats — please reach out to the Fletcher Risk team. We’ll help you make sure your fire-safety approach is not just compliant—but future-resilient.

Fletcher Risk Team 6 November 2025

Disclaimer:
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, fire-safety requirements may vary depending on your building and local authority. For specific guidance or a formal Fire Risk Assessment, please contact Fletcher Risk or a qualified fire-safety professional.

Tim Fletcher