AI and the military aren’t enough to tackle wildfires, PM told after fire summit

Labour Party / 28 October 2026 Budget failed to exorcise ‘ghost of Thatcher,’ say STUC 28 October 2026 Nato / 28 October 2026 Unions ‘concerned' by spending cuts to fill £4.7bn defence plan blackhole 28 October 2026 Climate Costs / 28 October 2026 Greens hit out at Budget as reports of Rosebank green light assumptions 28 October 2026 Palestine Solidarity / 28 October 2026 Manchester protesters gather in emergency action against West Bank attacks 28 October 2026 IWGB / 28 October 2026 Rockstar workers could ‘make gaming history’ with ballot to win union recognition 28 October 2026 Environment / 28 October 2026 Climate change should be formally declared global health emergency, experts say 28 October 2026 ANDY BURNHAM was warned that AI and military helicopters alone will not keep the public safe after he hosted Google, Airbus and Vodafone chiefs at Britain’s first wildfire summit today.

Following last summer’s record 1,350 wildfires in England and Wales, FBU general secretary Steve Wright said: “The summit that our union called for has meant the government has taken steps in a positive direction towards improving the wildfire resilience of the UK.

“This includes providing the correct PPE for firefighters who attend wildfires, better land management and specialist equipment to assist in tackling these blazes.

“We do still need to see a commitment towards the recruitment of thousands of extra firefighters to make the country truly resilient against future wildfire events.

“More military aircraft and AI technology alone are not sufficient to keep the public safe and we will continue to make the case for more firefighters.”

The Labour leader said that military aircraft will be used to tackle wildfires as he tries to ensure Britain is “on the front foot” following a summer of devastating blazes following the meeting with fire chiefs, local leaders and experts from tech companies in Liverpool.

He added that the country “lived through a summer that we’ve never seen before” and firefighters had worked in “extremely difficult conditions.”

Mr Burnham also recalled visiting Stourbridge in August and how “we saw homes lost in a heartbeat,” but the government did not respond to questions over its plans to increase firefighter numbers today.

Britain’s biggest union slammed the use of the military to tackle extreme weather as “nonsensical” while Britain backs US fossil-fuel-driven wars.

A Unison spokesman said: “Funding for climate adaptation measures is vital. But the United States is now committed to accelerating global heating, including through fossil-fuelled wars.

“So having the British military help fight wildfires while continuing to facilitate America’s oil-based aggression is nonsensical. It’s time for a more consistent approach to tackling climate change, or else every summer will be worse than the last.”

The announcements came as households were urged to stockpile three days of supplies in case of civil emergencies, and Mr Burnham warned a “winter of great flooding” could be on its way in the aftermath of Storm Austen.

We Own It director Cat Hobbs urged the government to reinstate the 12,000 firefighter jobs cut under austerity since 2010, adding: “It’s very worrying, however, that private businesses are being invited into the mix — we’ve seen over 40 years now how relying on privatised solutions for essential public missions leads to cutting corners and huge waste.”

Communist Party general secretary Alex Gordon said: “Extreme climate events are the greatest threat to the security and safety of homes and communities across Britain and beyond.

“Last summer, wildfires wreaked havoc from north Wales to Stourbridge to Suffolk, while rising sea temperatures are intensifying the storms battering our coastline this week.

“The effects of global warming have massive impacts on insurance, transport and energy supplies. Given the scale of the climate emergency, the government’s response is inadequate.

“In next week’s Budget, Chancellor John Healey has an opportunity to reverse cuts to the fire service made by previous governments.”

The government said that civilian fire services 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.

Ministers also pledged to spend £45 million on wildfire-specific personal protective equipment for firefighters on the ground and a £25m scheme from April 2027 to April 2029 to restore dried-out peatlands in England so they are natural firebreaks.

Financial support for farmers to fireproof their land, such as by digging ponds, would also be available.

Uplift executive director Tessa Khan said: “The irony won’t be lost on people that the government is talking about investment in tackling wildfires today, just 48 hours after it approved Jackdaw, a new fossil fuel project.

“If he won’t heed the scientists, or the parents worried for their children’s futures, Burnham needs to pay attention to the unions and their workers — the firefighters, care workers and teachers — who are now on the front line of climate change and demanding he stop Rosebank.”

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