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Only 16% of Berkshire wildfires hit response target

By Drooid · Oct 10, 2026, 4:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Royal Berkshire Lacks PPE

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed crews to wildfires without specialist PPE.
Only 16% of Berkshire wildfires were attended within the target time, with arrivals up to 43 minutes.
Twelve of twenty-22 fire services lacked specialist wildfire PPE despite warnings, according to CLAB.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service met its 15-minute wildfire response target about 87% of the time in 2026.

Summary

Burnham Bans Barbecues

The government has allocated nearly £100 million to upgrade national wildfire resilience assets.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham imposed a temporary ban on disposable barbecues after August fires.
July 2026 recorded 624 wildfires, the highest monthly total in England’s history.
The first wildfire-related death in 2026 was a 70-year-old man in Gloucestershire.

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Royal Berkshire Lacks PPE

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed crews to wildfires without specialist PPE.
Only 16% of Berkshire wildfires were attended within the target time, with arrivals up to 43 minutes.
Twelve of twenty-22 fire services lacked specialist wildfire PPE despite warnings, according to CLAB.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service met its 15-minute wildfire response target about 87% of the time in 2026.

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