Military Aircraft And Millions In Funding To Tackle Future Wildfires on The Yorkshire Coast

Military aircraft will be equipped to fight wildfires from the sky as part of a new national package aimed at preventing a repeat of the devastating Fylingdales moorland blaze.

Military helicopters and planes will soon drop water on major wildfires to protect rural communities and fragile landscapes across the Yorkshire Coast.

RAF Chinook helicopters and A400M aircraft will be equipped with specialist aerial firefighting gear under new plans announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The move forms part of a broader national strategy to strengthen the UK's response to extreme blazes, which includes up to £45 million for specialist wildfire response measures and an additional £25 million for peatland restoration.

The national intervention follows the catastrophic wildfire at Fylingdales and Langdale Moor during the summer of 2025. The blaze, which scorched an area roughly ten times the size of the Great Fire of London, caused severe damage to vital peatland habitats across the North York Moors.

Restoration work is already underway on the moors, supported by £292,144 of ring-fenced environmental funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. This cash has allowed the North York Moors National Park Authority to undertake immediate planning and capital delivery work to restore the fire-damaged land.

Alongside military support and funding, tougher restrictions and potential product bans will be explored to stop fires starting during dangerous conditions. This follows a temporary ban implemented in August 2026, aligning with previous local calls for a permanent ban on disposable barbecues and better water management for farmers.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, welcomed the new measures at the National Wildfire Summit in Liverpool. He said:

"Wildfires are becoming an increasingly common threat to communities, businesses and some of our most treasured landscapes.

"The Fylingdales and Langdale wildfire showed the scale of the challenge we face here in York and North Yorkshire and the incredible work of firefighters, land managers and local communities who came together to protect people and the environment.

"The commitment to strengthen our national wildfire response, including more aerial firefighting capability and investing in landscape resilience, is an important and necessary step.

"A national approach to wildfires is long overdue and I will continue to work with Government to ensure York and North Yorkshire will always have the best quality public services with the tools they need to serve and protect the public."

The Government's new Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme, expected to run from April 2027 to April 2029, will mirror the recovery efforts already taking place at Fylingdales. Experts note that restoring peatland helps landscapes retain water, store carbon, support biodiversity, and improve overall resilience against future fire events.

Tom Hind, Chief Executive Officer at the North York Moors National Park Authority, also attended the summit to speak about the region's recovery, alongside Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby. Mr Hind said:

"I’m heartened by the significant steps forward announced by the Prime Minister today.

"The way that land is managed in National Parks and National Landscapes is key to reducing the risk of wildfires. We need more resilient ecosystems to meet our multiple climate challenges. This means using a range of tools where appropriate from re-wetting to peatland restoration, strategic firebreaks through cutting and burning as well as pond constructions.

"We can only do this by working with farmers, and other land managers, rewarding and incentivising them to manage land for nature and climate resilience."

Alison Hume MP  was invited to the event hosted by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to speak about the devastating impact of last year's Langdale Moor Fire on her community.

Ms Hume was one of only three MPs invited to attend, and the only MP called to speak by the Prime Minister.

She used the opportunity to reiterate her call for the government to introduce an extreme weather event funding framework which puts wildfires on the same footing as flooding, meaning that farmers and businesses have access to recovery grants.

Ms Hume also related the story of how the 2025 Langdale Moor Fire came within a mile of the continuous ballistic missile early warning and space surveillance radar at RAF Fylingdales, calling for greater attention to protecting critical national infrastructure.

Ms Hume said:

"Last year, when the North York Moors burned, our community saw first-hand how devastating wildfires can be and many are still living with the trauma, and the consequences.”

“The Prime Minister has made wildfires a national conversation and he is committed to making change. Today's commitments show that this Government is serious about making our country more resilient for the future. I particularly welcome measures to protect our firefighters and farmers, who were on the front line of containing the Langdale Moor Fire."

The Prime Minister has announced that military planes and helicopters will be equipped so they can fight fires and are ready, when requested, to help crews across the UK battle blazes on remote moorland, steep hillsides and other hard-to-reach terrain. 

Firefighters on the front line in England will be boosted by additional specialist wildfire teams and state of the art, wildfire-specific, lightweight PPE, backed by up to £45 million, meaning those who work tirelessly to protect others can also stay safe. Farmers will also be given funding to make landscapes more resilient to fires spreading.

Measures announced today include a £25 million investment to restore dried-out peatlands in England, so they hold more water and act as natural firebreaks, as well as financial support for farmers to fireproof their land, through digging ponds and removing burnable materials in high-risk areas.

The Prime Minister said:

"I stood in Stourbridge and watched families lose everything. I will never forget it. Our firefighters were heroes that day, but heroes shouldn't have to fight with one hand tied behind their backs. 

“Crews will now have the kit they need to stay safe and military aircraft will stand ready to help tackle wildfires from the sky. We cannot put people through another summer like this one." 

Communities Secretary Angela Rayner said:

"The wildfires we've faced this year have been unrelenting, leaving a devastating impact on communities, homes and our precious countryside. 

"We've heard loud and clear from communities, experts and emergency services that more needs to be done. That's why we're taking immediate action now, while working across government and the sector to build a stronger, more resilient national response to wildfires for the future." 

Environment Secretary, Dame Angela Eagle said:

“The wildfires that tore through our countryside this summer showed the urgent need to adapt to our changing climate. 

"Nature is our greatest ally in preventing wildfires starting in the first place, with healthy landscapes keeping more moisture in the ground to stop fires spreading. 

“That’s why we are stepping in and investing £25 million to restore peatlands as well as backing farmers to deliver natural fire safety measures on their land."

The government has said it will also look at tougher local restrictions or product bans to stop people starting fires when the risk is high, and convene an interministerial meeting between UK and devolved governments to better coordinate and strengthen the response to wildfires across all corners of the UK.