Lack of strategy on wildfires

A new report by the FBU firefighters’ union shows the UK is “woefully under-prepared” when it comes to wildfires. As a result, firefighters have been stretched beyond limits, the union says.

Scorched: firefighters and resilience to wildfire, finds that although wildfires have been listed as a threat to national security on the National Risk Register since 2013, there is no statutory obligation for including the risk in local strategies. This has resulted in a “postcode lottery” for wildfire preparation.

The FBU says the devastating wildfires across Europe this summer must be taken as a warning to prepare for rising temperatures over the coming years.