The government has announced a major package to strengthen England’s resilience against wildfires, including the deployment of specialist firefighter teams and a £97 million investment in new equipment ahead of the summer months.
Teams of specially trained firefighters will be positioned in key locations across England, ready to respond rapidly to wildfires as the number of incidents continues to grow. The move is designed to deliver help to people on the ground more quickly while easing pressure on local fire services.
The specialist teams have undergone intensive training over spring and summer, upskilling in the latest firefighting strategies including tactical burning. Firefighters have also travelled to South Africa and Poland to learn from international colleagues with experience of large-scale wildfires.
The announcement follows devastating wildfires last year, which caused widespread damage across the North York Moors National Park. The new measures are intended to provide crucial protection to countryside and communities at risk.
Alongside the deployment of specialist teams, a £97 million investment will fund the largest scale upgrade of National Resilience assets in almost twenty years. The funding will provide state-of-the-art equipment, including dedicated off-road vehicles, as part of a major overhaul of existing vehicles and equipment.
The Fire National Resilience programme was originally established after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, recognising that specialist capabilities, personnel and resources were needed to enable fire and rescue services to respond effectively to national-scale catastrophic incidents. The new investment will strengthen the country’s ability to respond to the largest and most complex incidents, from flash flooding to raging wildfires and collapsed structures.
Specialist capabilities were used over 1,000 times in 2025 alone to tackle a diverse range of incidents, with devastating wildfires identified as a growing demand on the service.
The wildfire teams will be hosted by fire and rescue services in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, London and South Wales, and will be deployable to incidents across England by the end of June. The strategic positioning of the teams is intended to ensure they can reach affected areas quickly, providing critical support to local services when wildfires break out.
Building Safety Minister, Samantha Dixon, said: ‘This country benefits from a dedicated fire and rescue service and as incidents continue to evolve in complexity, it’s critical that we back those on the frontline with the latest equipment.
‘Last year saw some of our most devastating wildfires in recent history and as we head into peak season, we’re getting on and delivering the resource, training and assets needed to minimise the escalating risk.’
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