Written question asked by Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru) on Monday, 7 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. It was answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Peatlands: Fires

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what fire intensity multiplier her Department uses when assessing the impact that higher fuel loads of vegetation will have on the ferocity of wildfires.

Answer: MHCLG is the lead department for wildfire. Defra works closely with them on wildfire preparedness and incident response. In England and Wales, the Met Office’s Fire Severity Index is used to evaluate how severe a wildfire could become if one were to ignite under current weather patterns. Defra is undertaking a range of research projects to review new and existing evidence on wildfire and best practice approaches to building environmental resilience and manage this natural hazard.

Secondary information