Fires: Weather

Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority. Standalone FRSs will see an increase in Core Spending Power (CPS) of £87.51m in 2026/27 compared to 2025/26 from government. This funding will provide a minimum 3.8% increase in CSP for all standalone services in 2026/27, with some services seeing increases of over 7% in CSP.

The Government recognises the increasing risk posed by wildfires and the importance of a coordinated, cross-government approach to prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. It is why we have funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor since 2024 to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

To strengthen government response, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have established joint arrangements to oversee work on wildfire risk anticipation and assessment, preparedness, prevention, response and recovery.

Each Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfire), through their Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) and having regard to the views of other key local responders.

To bolster this resource, as part of the New Dimensions 2 programme, the government has recently announced the launch of the national wildfire response capability at the end of June. The pilot will place specialist firefighters in key areas across the country ready to respond to wildfires across England, enhancing local response arrangements. The teams are equipped with state-of-the-art kit and have undergone intense training - taking on latest tactics and response strategies drawn from international best practice.

The government also recognises that good communication can shape public behaviour to help decrease the chances of a wildfire occurrence. The government publishes social media messaging around periods of high wildfire risk and including wildfire as part of Cabinet Office’s newly developed Resilience Website. Officials are also exploring other ways to expand the use of MHCLG’s Fire Kills campaign to deliver targeted messages and resources to the public.

MHCLG is also aware that Defra encourages landowners and land managers to adopt good quality wildfire management plans, as well as using sustainable methods to manage habitat and restore their peatland. Defra with its executive agencies, Arms Length Bodies (ALBs), and through the Protected Landscapes, encourage landscape scale land management to help increase wildfire resilience.