UK Firefighters Warn of Water Shortages Amid Record Wildfire Season

Firefighters across England and Wales reported severe difficulties obtaining water to combat wildfires during the country’s hottest-ever summer. In Stourbridge, West Midlands, replenishing a water carrier took almost 40 minutes because of reduced mains pressure, and crews in the New Forest faced similar constraints. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) told the EFRA committee that limited water supplies are causing fires to develop more quickly.

The Guardian

Prolonged dry periods and extreme heat have driven an upward trend in the number of recorded fires each year. The NFCC attributes growing pressure on water resources to climate change, population growth, new housing developments and emerging infrastructure such as data centres. The Environment Agency projects that England’s public water supply could be short by 5 billion litres per day by 2055 without urgent action.

The Guardian

• A NFCC-conducted survey found that 81 % of fire and rescue services altered their emergency response plans where water access was a concern.

The Guardian

• The same survey indicated that four in five services have changed plans because of water-supply worries, echoing the 81 % figure.

The Guardian

• The EFRA committee’s report cites the Environment Agency’s estimate of a 5 billion-litre-per-day shortfall by 2055.

The Guardian

A government spokesperson emphasized that improving wildfire preparedness is a priority and noted that a summit with ministers, fire-service leaders and land managers is being held to strengthen the response. A UK wildfire conference is scheduled for November 11 in Leeds.

The Guardian

• “In summers like this year, we would normally ask for more resources, but those resources aren’t always available and we’re having to wait longer for additional resources or we’re having to find other ways to deal with the fire,” — Dave Swallow

The Guardian

• “Improving wildfire preparedness is a major government priority. That’s why this week we are holding a summit with government ministers, fire and rescue leaders, land managers and other partners to understand how we can strengthen the response to this increasing risk.” — government spokesperson

The Guardian