The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has stepped up its call for the government to lift the ban on controlled moorland burning, arguing that many fire services are not equipped to fight wildfires, Farmers Weekly reports. The CLA sent Freedom of Information requests to 47 fire services in England and Wales; 29 replied.
More than half of those services said they have no wildfire protective clothing, even though fire services have repeatedly warned that standard kit can be too heavy and cause crews to overheat or take it off. A third have no drones, which are seen as critical for tracking and tackling wildfires safely. Meanwhile 77% of councils recorded more wildfire incidents in the first half of 2026 than in the whole of 2024.
Training varies widely. In West Yorkshire only 15% of operational staff hold an in-date wildfire certificate, and in Cheshire just 8% of employees have been trained, while Durham, Kent and East Sussex report all firefighters and officers trained, though mostly online rather than in the field. Across the 29 services that shared data, on-call engines were out of action for an average of 32% of the year because of crew shortages.
"Fire services need the people, training and specialist equipment to protect communities," said CLA president Gavin Lane. "And government must lift the ban on controlled burning, so landowners have the freedom to reduce fuel loads before a blaze becomes a disaster." The Fire Brigades Union also called for better preparation for next year's wildfires, including better land management and long-term prevention.
A government spokesman said wildfire preparedness is a priority and that a summit with fire and rescue partners is being convened, building on £100m previously given to upgrade national resilience assets. Land management also plays a part, he said, including peatland restoration and firebreaks that help stop fires starting or spreading.
Photo: Humphrey Bolton / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Source: Farmers Weekly
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