The cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has published a report warning that wildfires "could no longer be regarded as rare or exceptional events", with climate change increasing both their frequency and severity.

The committee called for firefighting aircraft, disposable barbecue restrictions and a government-funded public awareness campaign, with chairman Alistair Carmichael telling the BBC: "What we've seen as serious wildfires this year is going to be normal in years going forward."

The season's numbers explain the urgency. Fire and rescue services in England and Wales responded to 1,132 wildfires between 1 January and 16 August — more than the total recorded during the whole of 2025.

According to BBC reporting, fire chiefs admitted at one stage in August they were under "incredible pressure", with 11 major fires in 48 hours across the West Midlands, Hampshire and south Wales.

The MPs said the 2026 season exposed weaknesses in national resilience: access to aerial firefighting resources, securing water supplies during major incidents, and coordinating resources nationally.

The Independent also notes Carmichael wants new planes as a "minimum requirement" and implementation plans for aerial capability by January 2027.

Because most fires are caused by human activity — littering, unattended campfires and disposable barbecues, and deliberate fire-setting — the committee wants behaviour change at the centre of policy.

It said disposable barbecues, campfires and discarded cigarettes should become "socially unacceptable" during high-risk periods, and welcomed the government's temporary barbecue sale restrictions this summer while saying action should have come sooner.

BBC reporting notes a disposable barbecue was blamed for a fire that destroyed four homes in Stoke-on-Trent in August, and a major blaze in Macclesfield was also thought to have been caused by one.

The report also backed an evidence-based land management "toolbox": grazing, cutting, peatland restoration and prescribed burning where appropriate.

The government said improving wildfire preparedness is a "major priority", and ministers are holding a summit this week with fire and rescue leaders, land managers and other partners.

A spokesperson pointed to a pilot scheme of six teams of specialist firefighters deployable to major wildfire incidents, and — according to The Independent — almost £1.95 billion made available for fire and rescue authorities.

Carmichael warned: "Two consecutive, record-breaking years of wildfires should be ringing alarm bells in Westminster... We need to see Government preparing for 2027 now." The committee also wants wildfire risk indicators in weather forecasts and funding for fire wardens in high-risk landscapes.