UK Firefighters Want 5,000 More Staff as Wildfires Hit Record Highs

July 2026 was the UK's worst month ever for wildfires — 458 fires, almost half the year's 966 total so far. The firefighters' union wants 5,000 more firefighters hired. Most of England is now in a drought, meaning unusually dry conditions, and weather experts expect this to be the hottest UK summer ever recorded.