Firefighters have tackled 910 outdoor fires and 27 wildfires across Nottinghamshire since 1 July, following a sharp rise in incidents during the hot and dry summer.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said the number of outdoor fires was around 80% higher than during the same period last year.
The latest figure amounts to an average of more than 18 outdoor fires every day since the beginning of July. Crews have also dealt with a wildfire roughly every two days.
The service thanked firefighters, control room staff and partner organisations for supporting its response during what it described as a “very challenging summer”.
It said: “A fantastic effort by everyone who has supported our response during a very challenging summer.
“We’re not wishing summer away… but a bit more rain wouldn’t go amiss.”
The figures follow a succession of large fires which have required crews and specialist equipment from across Nottinghamshire and neighbouring counties.
A major incident was declared on 9 August as several simultaneous fires placed pressure on the service’s resources and reduced the number of fire engines available for other emergencies.
Among the most serious incidents was a wildfire at Strawberry Hill Heath in Mansfield, where around 36,000 square metres of woodland and undergrowth were affected. Eight fire engines and several specialist units were deployed, with crews remaining at the scene overnight.
Six crews and a water carrier were also sent to a forest fire at Sherwood Pines during the same weekend.
Earlier in August, nine fire engines and two water carriers tackled a four-hectare field fire near Church Warsop.
On 13 August, firefighters dealt with two large field fires at the same time, with eight engines sent to a blaze off Eakring Road in Mansfield and another eight deployed near Willow Tree Close in Bulwell.
In Rushcliffe, six crews, three specialist wildfire units and a water bowser were required when flames reached around 20 feet at Barton-in-Fabis in July. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading towards a nearby property.
The prolonged dry conditions have also contributed to a rise in deliberately started fires. Crews attended 61 deliberate outdoor fires between 20 and 26 July, compared with 27 during the equivalent week in 2025.
Firefighters have repeatedly asked people not to light bonfires or burn garden waste while grass, crops and woodland remain dry. An unauthorised bonfire was extinguished in Ashfield on 16 August after being lit without the landowner’s knowledge.
The service has warned that even a small fire can spread quickly, endangering people, homes, wildlife and firefighters while drawing crews away from other emergencies.
People are being advised not to light fires in parks, woodland or open countryside, to avoid disposable barbecues and to dispose of cigarettes carefully. Anyone who discovers a fire should move to safety and call 999.
