Sector body seeks feedback on draft wildfire guidance for housing

The CIH’s guidance says wildfire risk to homes exists in three main forms: direct flame, embers and smoke.

Embers can travel beyond the fire front and ignite homes if they land in places such as garden vegetation or leaves stuck in gutters. Smoke can be particularly harmful to children, pregnant women, older people and those with existing health conditions.

Research into the Saddleworth Moor fire found that concentrations of PM2.5 – a fine particulate matter that can be harmful to health – rose sharply in Oldham and Manchester, with elevated levels also recorded in areas including Liverpool and Wigan.

Dr Matthew Scott, policy manager at the CIH, said: “Housing professionals are increasingly aware of the risks posed to existing homes and communities by climate change, especially flooding and overheating. However, wildfire risk has not received the same attention in the sector so far.

“According to the Climate Change Committee, the wildfire season is not only becoming longer as a result of climate change, but the number of summer days with conditions highly favourable for wildfires is also increasing.

“We hope by publishing this draft guidance we can support housing professionals and the organisations they work for to work in partnership with others to protect their existing communities from this growing risk.”

The Climate Change Committee has warned that rising drought and wildfire risk is one of the key hazards facing the UK as the climate changes.

Its fourth independent assessment of UK climate risk said the number of days with conditions for serious wildfires could double, while the wildfire season is expected to become longer.

It said summers such as 2018, 2022 and 2025 will become normal, while extreme summers will become hotter and drier. Wildfire conditions currently seen in parts of central and southern Europe could become common in the UK, with the biggest increase in risk expected in the South and East of England.

The CIH said housing providers should take a strategic and data-led approach to wildfire risk by identifying the homes and communities most at risk and prioritising them for monitoring and action.

The draft guidance suggests that landlords could record wildfire risk on their asset management systems, work with local partners including fire and rescue services, and support residents to reduce risks in gardens and around their homes.

It is adapted from existing good practice from organisations including the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Forestry Commission, and has received input from expert members of the England and Wales Wildfire Forum. It comes as the government prepares its National Planning Policy Framework, which proposes explicit reference to wildfires.

Dr Scott added: “Our intention with this guidance was not to produce anything new, but to consolidate existing good practice into a format and structure that we hope is simple and easy for housing professionals to access, understand, and begin to implement.

“However, we know this is a new area for many housing professionals, and we therefore strongly welcome any feedback on the content and usability of the guidance before we finalise it later this year.”

The guidance is being published as part of a wider campaign on extreme heat, led by the CIH and the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Kevin Garvey, head of member relations at the NHF, said: “The changing climate in England is creating a number of growing risks to our homes. Wildfires are increasingly becoming a fixture of our hot, dry summers, which is particularly concerning.

“This draft guidance is a valuable resource for housing associations and their staff as they seek to protect homes and residents from their devastating impacts, and we encourage them to share any feedback with CIH.”

The window for feedback is open until 5pm on Friday 11 September.