UK announces wildfire equipment and funding after record response figures

The UK Government has announced new equipment and funding intended to strengthen wildfire response in England and Wales.

The package includes specialist firefighting equipment for RAF Chinook helicopters and A400M aircraft. The Government said those military aircraft can assist with wildfire operations when civilian authorities request support.

The Government also announced up to £45 million for specialist wildfire teams and protective equipment for firefighters. It said the extreme heat experienced in 2026 was made around 130 times more likely by climate change.

Fire-service figures show the scale of the response pressure. Services in England and Wales dealt with 1,004 wildfires across July and August 2026. August alone produced 519 wildfire responses, the largest monthly figure in the available data.

National Resilience figures had already recorded 716 responses by English and Welsh fire services by 30 July 2026. England and Wales also had their busiest July on record for wildfire responses in 2026.

The National Fire Chiefs Council said the incidents were placing sustained pressure on fire and rescue services. A Welsh joint fire-control room received more than 2,500 calls on 13 August 2026.

The new aircraft capability is intended to add aerial support when local civilian services seek assistance. The Government’s announcement covers equipment for both Chinook helicopters and A400M aircraft, rather than relying only on ground-based firefighting resources.

The response figures provide separate measures of wildfire activity across the two countries. The July total was described as a record, while the August count was the highest monthly total in the available data. Together, the figures for July and August reached 1,004 responses.

The funding announcement combines support for specialist wildfire crews with protective equipment for firefighters. The Government’s climate assessment links the extreme heat of 2026 to a substantially greater likelihood of heat conditions, while fire chiefs have highlighted the operational demands created by the wildfire response.