Scarborough and Whitby MP calls for wildfires to get same recovery funding as flooding
Alison Hume spoke at the government's Wildfire Resilience Summit in Liverpool
An North Yorkshire MP is calling for wildfires to be given the same recovery funding as flooding.
Labour MP for Scarborough and Whitby Alison Hume has been speaking about the impact of the 2025 Langdale Moor fire in the North York Moors on her community.
She wants the government to introduce an extreme weather event funding framework that puts wildfires on the same footing as flooding.
She says that would give farmers and businesses access to recovery grants.
Ms Hume says the fire came within a mile of the ballistic missile early warning and space surveillance radar at RAF Fylingdales.
She called for greater attention to be paid to protecting critical national infrastructure.
What the government has announced
The Prime Minister has announced that military planes and helicopters will be equipped to fight fires.
They will be ready, when requested, to help crews across the UK tackle blazes on remote moorland, steep hillsides and other hard-to-reach terrain.
The investment will allow the Ministry of Defence to develop, for the first time, an aerial firefighting capability permanently based in the UK.
Firefighters in England will get additional specialist wildfire teams and lightweight protective kit designed for wildfires, backed by up to £45 million.
A further £25 million will be invested to restore dried-out peatlands in England, so they hold more water and act as natural firebreaks.
Farmers will be given financial support to make their land more resilient to fire, including by digging ponds and removing burnable material in high-risk areas.
The new Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme will be run by Natural England and is expected to run from April 2027 to April 2029.
The government will also look at tougher local restrictions or product bans to stop people starting fires when the risk is high.
It will hold a meeting between UK and devolved governments to coordinate the response to wildfires, and develop England's first Wildfire Action Plan.
A new Wildfires AI Unit will be set up in the National Situation Centre at COBR, and the government will work with the Met Office on better wildfire forecasts.
Reaction
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 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."
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."