Since 2018, London’s emergency services have incurred expenses exceeding £11 million while responding to wildfires and flooding, strengthening the argument for greater investment in climate change resilience.
Over the past seven years, the capital has experienced 808 wildfires, costing the London Fire Brigade (LFB) more than £5.4 million in response efforts, as reported by the Mayor of London.
In just this year, there have been 21 wildfire occurrences, leading the LFB to mobilize 4,022 personnel, resulting in a total expenditure of £766,000, according to information from City Hall.
Additionally, the total expenditure associated with flood responses since 2018 has reached £5.8 million, which includes £557,000 for handling 195 incidents in 2025, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Leonie Cooper, the Labour Party’s environment spokesperson on the London Assembly, remarked, “This isn’t a forecast of the effects of climate change; this is the reality we are experiencing in London at present.”
This summer, the capital endured four heatwaves, with records from the Met Office establishing summer 2025 as the hottest in the UK’s history.
Data indicates that since 2018, Havering has recorded the highest incidence of wildfires, with 158 such events in the borough. This includes the devastating Wennington fire of 2022, which destroyed over a dozen homes.
This year alone, the local authority reported 37 wildfire incidents, a significant increase from eight in 2018.
Flooding has also increasingly impacted London, with the Greater London Authority (GLA) identifying flash floods as the principal environmental danger to its residents.
An analysis by City Hall revealed that nearly half of London’s hospitals and one-fifth of its schools could be affected by flooding.
Pat Goulbourne, Assistant Commissioner for operational resilience and control at the LFB, stated, “We are aware that climate change is influencing London’s weather patterns, which includes a heightened risk of wildfires and flash flooding.”
He emphasized the need for landowners to implement proactive measures, such as establishing fire breaks.
He further noted, “It is crucial that we continue to invest in ensuring we have the appropriate resources available to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.”
This week, the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, is participating in the C40 World Mayors Summit, an event designed to demonstrate how urban areas are addressing the climate crisis, occurring in advance of Cop30, which will take place in Brazil’s Amazonian city of Belem.
