UK wildfire plan adds aircraft and peatland funding

The UK government has announced plans to equip RAF Chinook helicopters and A400M aircraft to fight wildfires, alongside funding for specialist ground crews and measures intended to make landscapes less vulnerable to burning. The October 22 package sets out a UK-based aerial firefighting capability and separate commitments covering firefighters and peatlands in England.

The aircraft would support operations in places where access on the ground is difficult, including steep hillsides and remote moorland. The Ministry of Defence is to develop the capability with specialist equipment. The announcement does not specify the number of aircraft to be fitted or a date when the new equipment will enter service.

Aircraft support and new equipment for crews

Civilian fire and rescue services in all four UK nations will continue to be able to request military firefighting assistance through the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities process. The government describes the planned aerial capability as permanently based in the UK. That is a preparedness commitment, rather than a report that aircraft have already been deployed under the new programme.

For firefighters in England, the package includes up to £45 million backing additional specialist wildfire teams and protective equipment designed for outdoor fires. The release does not break that amount into separate allocations for staffing and clothing.

The government says existing protective kit is primarily intended for building fires and is not designed for prolonged use. The planned wildfire clothing would be lighter and more breathable, allowing crews to wear it for longer while working outdoors. The funding announcement does not establish how many firefighters have already received replacement kit.

A new Wildfires AI Unit is also planned within COBR's National Situation Centre. It would bring universities, technology companies and government together to help detect fires and improve the response. Separate work with the Met Office is intended to improve wildfire forecasts and understanding of risk, including public awareness and prevention.

England is to develop its first Wildfire Action Plan, covering prevention, preparedness, emergency response and recovery. The release also commits to closer coordination with devolved governments and an interministerial meeting. These measures sit alongside, rather than replace, the arrangements through which individual fire services seek military assistance.

Peatland restoration and prevention

The package announces £25 million for restoring dried peatlands in England. The stated aim is to help those landscapes retain water and function as natural firebreaks. Financial support for farmers would cover preventative work such as creating ponds and removing material that can burn in high-risk areas.

Natural England is expected to run the new Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme from April 2027 to April 2029. Those dates place the scheme in a future delivery period; the October announcement is not evidence that this new round is already open or that grants have been paid.

The government will also consider stronger local restrictions or product bans during periods of high fire risk. It has not announced a particular new product ban in this release, so that part of the package remains an examination of possible controls.

Separately, Defra's peatland objectives published on October 22 explain the environmental case for restoring wet landscapes. Healthy peatlands have stable water levels near the surface, supporting vegetation that stores organic material and helps regulate water flow. Defra distinguishes restoring damaged habitat from maintaining the condition of peatland already restored.

That farming-sector document sets a goal of restoring and maintaining 240,000 hectares by 2050, alongside management, from 2026, of about 100,000 hectares already restored. These are broader long-term objectives, not an acreage promised for the new £25 million wildfire-related grant scheme.

Record heat provides the background

The package follows a summer the Met Office assessed on September 1 as provisionally the UK's warmest in its series dating to 1884. The reported mean was 16.5°C, compared with 16.1°C in 2025. England, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own summer mean temperature records; Scotland had its joint-sixth warmest summer.

The Met Office's rapid attribution analysis estimated that human-induced climate change made a summer like 2026 around 130 times more likely. That estimate concerns the season's heat, not the probability of each individual wildfire. The assessment supplies the climate background to the October response, rather than constituting a new October temperature announcement.

Contains information from UK government publications licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This independent report is not endorsed by the UK government.