# MPs demand firefighting planes and barbecue bans for UK wildfires

> Parliament's environment committee calls for new aircraft, public campaigns and restrictions on disposable barbecues after record-breaking 2026 fire season.
- Title: MPs demand firefighting planes and barbecue bans for UK…
- Summary: Parliament's environment committee calls for new aircraft, public campaigns and restrictions on disposable barbecues after record-breaking 2026 fire season…
- Keywords: efra committee, uk wildfires, firefighting planes, disposable barbecue ban, alistair carmichael, climate change, fire prevention, politics, news, MPs, demand, firefighting
- Source: The Independent — https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/firefighting-planes-uk-wildfires-disposable-barbecue-ban-australia-b3070098.html
- Published: 2026-10-20T23:01:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: efra committee, uk wildfires, firefighting planes, disposable barbecue ban, alistair carmichael, climate change, fire prevention, politics, news
## Record fires force UK action
MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee have called for disposable barbecue bans, new firefighting planes and Australian-style public campaigns to address escalating UK wildfire threats.
## Wildfires are the new normal
Following one of the most severe summers for fires on record, the Efra Committee warned that wildfire is part of our new reality and can no longer be dismissed as rare or exceptional events.
## 2026 saw record-breaking fire season
As the UK baked in the hottest summer on record in 2026, with widespread drought in England and Wales, fire crews responded to one thousand one hundred thirty-two wildfires in the year up to August…
## Fires spread across all UK regions
Significant fires hit Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains, the Cairngorms in Scotland, the Rhinogydd mountains and South Wales, Dunwich Heath, the New Forest and Stourbridge in England, which destroyed nineteen homes.
## Prevention is vital, says Carmichael
Efra Committee chairman Alistair Carmichael said Britain needs a cultural shift to match fire-savvy nations like Australia, with public awareness campaigns and restrictions on disposable barbecues at high-risk times.

> Britain needs a cultural shift that puts us in step with fire-savvy nations such as Australia
## Firefighting planes are minimum requirement
Fire and rescue services need investment in specialist equipment, with new planes a minimum requirement. The UK has no dedicated firefighting aircraft and its limited water-bombing military planes are permanently based in Cyprus.
## Government pledges action and funding
A Government spokesperson said improving wildfire preparedness is a major priority and this week they are holding a summit with ministers, fire leaders and land managers.
## Implementation plans due by January 2027
The committee wants implementation plans for new aerial firefighting capability by January twenty twenty-seven.Carmichael warned that failure to prepare now will leave the UK exposed to more wildfires every year until it is taken seriously.

> Two consecutive, record-breaking years of wildfires should be ringing alarm bells in Westminster
## Key takeaway

MPs demand firefighting planes, barbecue bans and public campaigns to tackle UK wildfires after the hottest summer on record in 2026 exposed gaps in wildfire preparedness.