Britain’s Wildfire Crisis

Record-breaking heatwaves and severe droughts are making blazes like the Dunwich Heath and Stourbridge fires an existential climate reality rather than isolated emergencies.

The Government's lack of a coherent action plan is leaving 1.8 million British homes exposed. Replacing piecemeal emergency responses with sustained investment, specialised equipment, and nature-based solutions is essential to build true climate resilience.

Today, Liberal Democrat members have passed an emergency policy to confront escalating climate risks and protect local communities.

To properly tackle this growing environmental crisis, we are calling on the Government to:

• Publish a  Wildfire Action Plan: Release and fully resource an Action Plan for England by spring 2027 with clear, measurable targets.
   
• Establish National Specialist Capabilities: Create a permanent, deployable specialist wildfire unit equipped with off-road vehicles, drones, high-volume pumps, and aerial support.
   
• Mandate Local Resilience Planning: Require fire authorities in high-risk zones to maintain multi-agency response plans covering evacuation routes, vulnerable residents, and water access.
   
• Boost Farming & Nature-Based Solutions: Increase the farming budget by £1 billion to help fund nature-based mitigation—including peatland restoration, rewetting, farm reservoirs, and controlled vegetation management.
   
• Implement Early Warning & Public Safety Bans: Introduce a nation-wide wildfire danger rating system paired with temporary restrictions on high-risk items like disposable barbecues and fireworks during extreme heat conditions.

Emergency services, land managers, and local volunteers have worked tirelessly to protect lives and habitats. It is time the Government provided them with the strategy, resources, and climate leadership needed to keep Britain safe.