UK to draft in military aircraft to fight wildfires, Burnham says
The UK government is authorizing the use of military aircraft, including RAF Chinooks and A400M planes, to assist civilian fire services in combating wildfires. This decision follows a record-breaking summer of fire incidents and aims to bolster resilience against climate-related threats.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the increasing integration of military resources into domestic climate change adaptation and emergency response strategies.
Image source, NurPhoto/Getty Images Image caption, RAF A400M planes will be able to fight wildfires if fire crews request them
Military planes and helicopters will be drafted in to tackle wildfires, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is to tell the UK's first summit on the issue.
Civilian fire services in all four nations will be able to request the support of the Royal Air Force's Chinook helicopters and A400M planes to fight wildfires on tough terrain such as remote moorland and steep hillsides.
Burnham said the measures were needed because "we cannot put people through another summer like this one".
The government will host its first "wildfire resilience summit" on Friday to discuss how to prevent, respond to and recover from such blazes after a record-breaking summer 2026.
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