Overview

The Fylingdales Moor wildfire represents one of the most complex and sustained wildfire incidents experienced by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS). The incident exposed a number of learning themes that have relevance beyond the Service and the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), reflecting the increasing frequency, scale and operational complexity of climate driven wildfires nationally.

The learning outlined below has been identified as suitable for National Organisational Learning (NOL) and Joint Organisational Learning (JOL) consideration, due to its applicability across fire and rescue services, partners and national frameworks.

Key NOL / JOL Themes

Command Capacity, Leadership Endurance and BAU Resilience

Officer rota arrangements proved effective under normal conditions but were placed under significant pressure during a prolonged major incident occurring alongside peak leave periods. Sustained demands across incident command, SCG/TCG leadership and business-as-usual delivery required extended working hours and highlighted limited resilience within existing arrangements.

National relevance: Leadership endurance, minimum resilient command capacity and welfare arrangements during protracted incidents.

Wildfire Pre-Planning and Capability in Remote Environments

While NYFRS had strong specialist wildfire capability (wildfire stations, Argocats, Wildfire Tactical Advisor), the incident highlighted limitations in pre-incident planning for high-risk wildfire sites, particularly in remote, On-call and volunteer areas. Access to detailed risk information (e.g. defence land, historic hazards) was limited at the outset.

National relevance: Consistency of wildfire preplanning, specialist capability assumptions and risk intelligence quality.

Welfare, Feeding and Operational Endurance

Welfare and feeding arrangements were initially suitable for extended incidents but insufficient for maintaining a long term, geographically dispersed wildfire response. Significant improvements were required as the incident progressed.

National relevance: Welfare provision for prolonged wildfire deployments as incidents increase in duration and scale.

Duty Systems and Protracted Deployment

The incident highlighted pressures on wholetime, On-call and volunteer duty systems. On-call staff demonstrated exceptional commitment, but sustained response began to impact primary employment and availability. Questions were raised around expectations for extended duty beyond normal shift patterns.

National relevance: Sustainable crewing models and workforce resilience during prolonged incidents.

Risk Information and Site Data Quality

Post incident review identified limitations in the accuracy, accessibility and timeliness of wildfire risk data, including peat depth, subsurface conditions and complex hazard information. Earlier access could have informed control line depth, tactics and resource deployment.

National relevance: Improving pre-incident risk data quality as wildfire risk escalates nationally.

Communications and Strategic Messaging

Early media dial in sessions were effective in managing demand; however, prolonged governance layers reduced agility, and internal communications were difficult to sustain alongside external messaging.

National relevance: Maintaining effective, transparent internal and external communications during extended major incidents.

PPE for Wildfire Conditions

The absence of wildfire specific PPE resulted in crews adapting structural PPE due to heat fatigue, increasing exposure risk.

National relevance: The case for lightweight, breathable wildfire PPE across UK Fire and Rescue Services.

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Defence Land Risk

Limited availability of accurate information on buried munitions significantly increased risk to responders. While UXO may pose minimal risk under normal conditions, wildfire involvement substantially elevates danger due to detonation (“cook off”).

National relevance: UXO information sharing between MOD, landowners and Fire and Rescue Services.

Bellwin Funding Timeliness

Uncertainty around the timing and approval of Bellwin funding constrained early strategic options for large scale control line activity involving helicopters and heavy plant.

National relevance: Clarity and timeliness of funding mechanisms for atypical, high cost incidents.

Unprecedented Wildfire Behaviour and Land Management Impacts

Fire behaviour exceeded previous experience, driven by extreme weather, fuel continuity and limited firebreaks. The introduction of the Heather and Grass Management Code 2025 may further alter wildfire behaviour nationally.

National relevance: Reviewing operational assumptions, training and land management interfaces.

Conclusion

The learning from the Fylingdales Moor wildfire reflects a broader shift in the wildfire risk profile facing Fire and Rescue Services. The themes identified provide clear opportunities for national improvement in command resilience, wildfire pre-planning, workforce sustainability, welfare provision, risk intelligence, PPE, funding mechanisms and partnership working.

This incident offers strong evidence base for NOL and JOL submission, supporting collective preparedness for increasingly frequent, complex and protracted wildfire events across the UK.