The government will call on military aircraft to assist in fighting wildfires, Burnham said, as ministers step up preparations following a record-breaking summer of fires in 2026. The announcement comes ahead of what Downing Street is calling the UK’s first national wildfire summit, which the prime minister will host to co-ordinate future responses.
First wildfire summit
The summit is intended to bring together national and local government, emergency services and other stakeholders to review lessons from the recent season and to plan for the possibility of further severe fire events. Officials say the meeting will focus on capability, resource sharing and ways to improve rapid response across affected areas.
Military support and operational planning
Burnham indicated that military aircraft would be made available as part of the national response to large wildfires, reflecting a decision to broaden the tools available to fight blazes that have placed heavy strain on civilian firefighting assets. The use of military resources marks a more formalised role for defence assets in domestic emergency operations when required.
A response to a record summer
The move follows an unusually intense period of wildfire activity in the summer of 2026, which authorities described as a record season. The summit and the promise of military support underline government concerns about preparedness and the need for coordinated action to protect communities, infrastructure and the environment in future incidents.