Wildfire Risk at Seven Sisters: What Visitors Need to Know Right Now

Seven Sisters Country Park is currently warning visitors of a high risk of wildfire, after weeks of hot, dry weather left the chalk grassland across the reserve tinder-dry. It is not a closure and it does not stop you visiting - but it does change what you should and should not do while you are here, and it is worth five minutes of your attention before you set out.

Why the Risk Is High Right Now

The South East has been through its third heatwave of the year, with an amber heat-health alert covering the region and temperatures topping 30°C on several days in early July. The Seven Sisters landscape is almost entirely open chalk grassland with virtually no tree cover or natural firebreaks - exactly the terrain that dries out fastest and carries a fire fastest once one starts. Natural England's fire severity index has rated much of the South East "very high" through the period, and the same dry conditions that make the cliffs feel so good underfoot in summer are what make them vulnerable now.

What Has Already Happened Nearby

This is not a theoretical warning. Sussex fire crews have already been called to open-land fires close to the Seven Sisters landscape this month:

• 11 July: A fire broke out on open downland between Butts Brow and Eastbourne Downs Golf Club, a few miles east of Birling Gap. Fire engines and off-road firefighting vehicles from Eastbourne, Seaford and Crowborough attended.
• 14 July: A substantial grass fire broke out in a field near Stone Cross, East Sussex, with crews battling the blaze for around two hours overnight.

Following the weekend fire, Eastbourne Borough Council arranged extra security patrols of the affected downland to deter further incidents while conditions remain this dry.

The Park's Own Notice

Seven Sisters Country Park's own site currently carries this alert, verbatim:

The reserve status matters here. Seven Sisters was declared a National Nature Reserve in March 2026, protecting rare chalk grassland, heath and floodplain habitat that supports species like the Chalkhill Blue butterfly and skylarks - habitat that a single fire could set back for years.

What This Means for Your Visit

• No barbecues, including disposable ones. A disposable BBQ left on dry grass, even one that looks "out," is one of the most common causes of grassland fires. Take a picnic instead.
• No smoking on the grassland, or extinguish and take cigarette ends with you. A dropped end in dry vegetation can smoulder unnoticed before catching properly.
• No campfires. This is already a hard rule at Seven Sisters year-round, not just during the current warning.
• Stick to the paths. Keeps you off the driest, most exposed grass and away from areas fire crews would need to reach quickly if something did start.
• Glass bottles can start fires too by focusing sunlight - take rubbish home rather than leaving it, as you should anyway.
• If you see a fire starting, call 999 immediately rather than trying to deal with it yourself - grass fires on open downland spread far faster than most people expect.

Pair This With Heat Safety

The same heatwave driving the fire risk also makes the clifftop walk more demanding than usual. Our summer walking and heat guide covers hydration, sun exposure on the shadeless chalk, and the best times of day to walk in hot weather. For the wider picture on when conditions turn genuinely unsafe on the cliffs, see the weather and safety guide.

Check Before You Go

Fire risk notices like this one change as the weather changes, so check sevensisters.org.uk for the current alert before you travel, and see the routes page for live walking conditions on the day. None of this should put you off visiting - it is simply what "high risk" means in practice on an exposed chalk landscape in a heatwave, and a small amount of care keeps the reserve intact for the next visitor.