Firefighter explains reason UK wildfires are so difficult to get contained

On Friday (14 August), most Brits might have experienced some panic after an Emergency Alert went off at 7pm, warning people not to light anything which could spark a wildfire. The alert came after 19 homes were destroyed in a wildfire in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on Thursday.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham later told the public the alert had been put out on request of firefighters, and urged people to take it ‘seriously’. Along with this, the government also issued a temporary ban on disposable barbecues, which are reported to be the main cause of a lot of wildfires.

On the list of banned items, there are also fireworks, fire pits, and garden incinerators. However, this is a temporary measure with promises from the Government to review the ban as the risk of wildfires changes through the autumn season. Household barbecues that aren’t disposable haven’t been banned, but users are warned to never to leave one unattended and ensure it is fully extinguished after use.

It comes as the record-breaking hot summer and lack of rainfall has led to several wildfires having been started in the last week across the UK, as this year has already passed 1,017, the total number of wildfires that were reported in all of 2025, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Nevertheless, the continuing wildfires have also prompted some bewilderment among the general public, as one Brit in Peterborough took to Reddit to ask UK-based firefighters why it takes them ‘so long’ to contain the various wildfires.

“Firefighters of the UK – please explain something that’s making me feel stupid,” the caption of the post read. They went on to explain they lived in Peterborough and had seen updates for the ongoing Holme Fen fires in Cambridgeshire.

“I’m genuinely wondering how this has been going on for a whole week?” they wondered. “I know nothing about fighting fires. But why can’t a massive container of water just be dumped on these fires by chopper?”

Firefighter explains what’s needed to combat UK wildfires

Several people quickly responded in the comments section to offer their views, among them a firefighter called Tom, who lent his professional knowledge to the debate. He explained: “Fire can travel underground particularly in areas with peat, and it will just pop up somewhere you don’t necessarily expect.”

Tom continued, revealing firefighters were also battling ‘several water issues’, pointing out that most homes have a nearby water hydrant available when a blaze breaks out. However, in more remote locations where fires take hold, the closest hydrant could be a considerable distance away.

In such circumstances, he noted they require ‘a tonne of hose’, or must carry out a water relay, whereby a fire engine repeatedly travels back and forth to fetch water and return it to the scene.

“Each time we can maybe dump about 1,500 litres, which when facing a huge wildfire, is nothing,” Tom said. “We can empty a full tank in under a minute.”

He further noted that while people might have seen wildfires being dealt with via aircrafts or helicopters, he revealed the UK doesn’t have firefighter aircrafts, like some other countries do. He said: “The RAF have some limited wildfire capability, but the chinooks and equipment are currently in Cyprus, so of no use to us.

“The aircraft we are using are not designated wildfire aircraft – they’re whatever we can beg, borrow or steal,” he added.

Tom went on to express his concerns the UK lacks the necessary equipment to tackle wildfires on the scale currently being witnessed across the country, stating that the nation is ‘still getting to grips’ with such events occurring.

“We are so heavily understaffed across the UK, and have seen cuts upon cuts for years,” he added. “We are doing the best we can, but we need a serious investment going forward otherwise this is only going to get worse.”