How rising wildfire risk is reshaping park insurance in the UK

For decades, the risk management strategy for most UK caravan and holiday park operators has been shaped by water. We are a nation well-versed in the threat of storm surges, coastal erosion, and bursting riverbanks, and most park owners can recite their flood evacuation plans by heart. Heavy investment in drainage, coastal defences, and flood prevention measures has become simply part of running a responsible operation.

But as we move into the second half of 2026, a new and more volatile threat is emerging from the opposite end of the meteorological spectrum. While the start of this year saw a record-breaking, near-continuous spell of rain, with precipitation recorded somewhere in the UK for more than 40 consecutive days since 1 January, the long-term trend is clear: our climate is becoming one of extremes. We are swinging from one of the wettest Januaries on record to the driest spring in over a century, within the space of twelve months.

Climate change is no longer a theoretical future risk. It is reshaping what it means to operate and insure a park right now. And increasingly, that means contending with a hazard that the industry has historically underestimated: wildfire.

The summer of 2025: a wake-up call

The numbers from last year tell a sobering story. Following the driest Spring in England since 1893, the UK recorded 117 wildfires in 2025. This was more than double the total seen in 2023 and a 32% increase on 2024. While it did not reach the grim milestone of 207 wildfires recorded during the record-breaking 40°C heat of 2022, the intensity and location of these fires posed an unprecedented threat to the leisure industry.

In August 2025, a massive wildfire tore across the North York Moors. A park operator, Grouse Hill Caravan Park, whose site sits on the periphery of the Moors, near the Dalby Forest area, was watching the fire spread closer – and moving with terrifying speed, fueled by parched heather and tinder-dry gorse.

Grouse Hill Caravan Park

At this point, the reality of a “total loss” claim was looking increasingly likely. At that moment, the flames were visible from the park, and local authorities were mere hours away from declaring the site indefensible. Fortunately, a shift in wind direction and the heroic efforts of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service managed to halt the fire’s progress just a few hundred metres from the park’s boundary.

We cannot rely on luck. Events like this were once considered once-in-a-career anomalies. The pattern of hot, dry springs followed by extreme summer heatwaves, established consistently since 2020, suggests this is now our new normal.

Why caravans are uniquely at risk

Static caravans and park homes are particularly vulnerable to fire damage for several structural and logistical reasons.

Materials and construction

Units are frequently built with plastic cladding and lightweight external materials. While modern units meet stringent safety standards, these materials can act as fuel during a high-intensity wildfire.

Proximity

Most parks are laid out with units in close proximity to one another. In a wildfire scenario, radiant heat alone can cause fire to jump between units, creating a domino effect capable of levelling a park within minutes.

Gas cylinders

Gas cylinders are essential to park life, but they represent a serious hazard during a wildfire. If not stored correctly, they can become explosive risks that prevent fire crews from entering a site altogether.

Location

Many of the UK’s most beautiful parks are surrounded by forests, heathland, or areas of long grass that, during a prolonged dry spell, become a continuous fuel bed leading directly to the park boundary.

This vulnerability is reflected in claims data. Between June 2022 and May 2023, fire claims at Compass  accounted for 10% of all caravan and park home claims, and represented a six-fold increase on the prior year.

Rethinking risk assessment for your park

Risk assessment must now evolve beyond checking that each unit has a smoke alarm and a fire blanket (though these remain non-negotiable). Park operators should be taking a broader view of the site as a whole landscape.

Creating defensible space

Evaluate the vegetation surrounding your park boundaries. During dry spells, long grass and overgrown gorse act as a fuse. Maintaining a buffer zone of cleared or irrigated land between the wildland and the first row of units can be the difference between a near-miss and a catastrophe.

LPG and gas safety

Ensure your park rules require all residents to store gas bottles outside, upright, and in a secure position. During heatwaves, cylinders should never be left in direct sunlight. Encourage residents to turn them off at the manifold after every use.

Fire equipment

Every unit should be equipped with a fire blanket and extinguisher. These should be checked regularly alongside smoke alarms to ensure they remain in good working order.

Access and infrastructure

Is your site accessible to modern fire appliances? During the North Yorkshire Moors fires, some access roads were closed or blocked as fire services tackled the blaze. Ensure internal roads are clear at all times, that water hydrants are tested regularly and clearly marked, and that alternative evacuation routes are clearly communicated to all guests and residents.

Evacuation planning: speed is everything

A wildfire moves faster than a flood. While a rising river may give you days to prepare, a wind-driven wildfire can cover miles in an hour. Your evacuation plan needs to be immediate and instinctive.

Communication

How do you reach every resident on site within three minutes? Whether it is a siren, a WhatsApp broadcast group, or a warden door-knock system, you need a method that is redundant and regularly tested.

Escape routes

Ensure exit routes are never obstructed by guest vehicles or deliveries. In a panic, a single blocked lane can be catastrophic.

Vulnerable residents

Maintain an up-to-date register of residents with mobility issues who will need immediate assistance during an evacuation.

The role of your residents

While park operators manage the land, many fires start from within. Common and preventable causes include careless barbecue use, improper disposal of cigarettes, and electrical overloads.

We encourage all park operators to issue clear summer safety guidance to residents every year, covering:

• Barbecue rules. During extreme heatwaves, consider a temporary ban on charcoal barbecues, or restrict their use to designated fire-safe zones well away from units and dry grass.
• Smoking areas. Discourage smoking inside units and provide metal, sand-filled bins for cigarette ends to prevent smouldering fires in dry vegetation.
• Electrical safety. With more guests bringing high-powered devices onto site, the risk of overloading older wiring is significant and worth addressing proactively in your welcome information.

A call for climate resilience

The leisure park industry has shown remarkable resilience over the years, and flood preparedness across the sector is genuinely impressive. It is time to apply that same rigour to wildfire risk.

At Compass, we want to keep protecting the parks and park home communities we have worked with for years. But doing that well requires a partnership in prevention. By treating wildfire risk with the same administrative and operational seriousness that we give to flooding, you can protect your property, your residents, and ultimately your insurability for the long term.

Prevention is always better than the cure, and in an era of escalating climate risk, being proactive is the only way to stay ahead of it.

For more information on holiday park insurance and risk management, contact us or speak to your Compass Regional Account Manager.

This article was published on 11th May 2026. It was accurate when posted, but things may have changed over time, and some links might not work anymore. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to get in touch with us.