UK Firefighters' Union Demands 5,000 New Recruits as Wildfires Hit Record Highs

July 2026 was the UK's busiest month on record for wildfires, with 458 incidents out of 966 year-to-date, per the National Fire Chiefs Council. The Fire Brigades Union is demanding 5,000 additional firefighters. The call follows near-three-quarters of England declared in drought on 10 August and the Met Office projecting the hottest UK summer on record by average temperature.