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The prime minister has called in the military to help battle a fire in the West Midlands, before sending an emergency alert to phones across England and Wales about the wildfire threat.
Announcing an earlier set of measures on Friday, Mr Burnham warned “Britain is a tinderbox right now” with “37 fires smouldering around the country”.
Several major blazes, including in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, where 19 homes were completely destroyed.
Mr Burnham said 100 military personnel – from Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, supported by the 22 Engineer Regiment – had been deployed to South Wales to offer “critically needed” support to fight fires throughout the region.
Among their equipment are four water bowsers, each capable of storing and transporting 20,000 litres of water, and a further 100 members of the Armed Forces were deployed on Friday evening.
Aerial firefighting capacity, such as helicopters to dampen flames, will be commissioned at a national level, the Prime Minister added.
The alert, sent on a rolling basis from around 7pm to millions, warns people not to light anything that could spark a fire, including barbecues, campfires and fireworks. They are also urged to report any fire immediately by calling 999.
Watch: Andy Burnham pleads for public caution at scene of Stourbridge fireAndy Burnham pleads for public caution at scene of Stourbridge fire
Alex Croft15 August 2026 15:30
Timeline of past emergency alerts8 January 2026 – Cornwall and Isles of Scilly during Storm Goretti 7 September 2025 – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as test alert 23 January 2025 – Parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland for Storm Éowyn 6 January 2025 – River Soar at caravan parks near Barrow upon Soar due to severe flooding 6 December 2024 – Parts of Wales and the south west of England during Storm Darragh 23 May 2024 – River Roe and River Ive from Highbridge to Stockdalewath for severe flooding 23 February 2024 – Plymouth for the transportation of a WWII bomb found in Keyham 23 April 2023 – Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland as a test 29 June 2021 – Reading as a test 25 May 2021 – East Suffolk as a test
Alex Croft15 August 2026 15:00
Autumn rain may not alleviate drought conditions, says Met Office
Autumn rainfall is not guaranteed to reverse the drought conditions affecting most of England and all of Wales, the Met Office has warned.
Chief meteorologist Will Lang said rain is on its way, but there remains a question mark over how much would fall.
In a bone-dry summer, rainfall totals for July have been as low as 1 per cent of the expected average, in the South East. Some parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex did not have a single rain day for 59 days.
These conditions have brought 71.3 per cent of England into drought, according to the Environment Agency. Natural Resources Wales has declared a drought across the whole of Wales.
Mr Lang said: “Having seen virtually no rainfall in southern parts of the UK, we will see some rainfall.
“‘How much?’ is the question. The answer is probably not too much compared with our forecast,” he told PA. “It’s looking like the overall amount of rain will still be below normal for the time of year.”
He continued: “Looking forward into the autumn, though, that’s when we’d normally see a change of conditions. We do see wetter and windier conditions and we will see more rainfall.
“Again, ‘how much?’ is the question – and whether that’s enough to alleviate things like the current drought problems, we don’t know yet.”
Alex Croft15 August 2026 14:31
In pictures: Stourbridge left scorched by West Midlands wildfires
(Getty)
(Getty)
(Getty)
Alex Croft15 August 2026 14:01
Sadiq Khan warns Burnham not to ‘slow down on net zero’
Andy Burnham has been warned not to “slow down on net zero” by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who argued the heatwave and wildfires showed the need for action on climate change.
The prime minister has acknowledged the devastation caused by the extreme weather is due to climate change but has faced criticism over his stance on North Sea oil and gas, after promising a “pragmatic” approach which won praise from Donald Trump, who supports new drilling in the area.
Sir Sadiq, who has been nominated for a life peerage, called for “reassurance” from Mr Burnham’s government that there would be no shift away from commitments to end reliance on fossil fuels, demanding international “action over apathy” on climate change.
Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Andy Burnham not to slow down in the drive to net zero (PA) (PA Archive)
In a sign of tensions within Labour over the issue, Sir Sadiq said the planet was in a “deeply precarious position”.
“And that’s why we need reassurance from the Government that they won’t slow down on net zero or reducing our reliance on oil and gas and that they’ll continue accelerating the green investment we need to get our country and planet back on track,” he said.
He said national governments around the world ”must choose action over apathy and commit to delivering Net Zero, reducing our reliance on oil and gas, and investing in the large-scale green projects we urgently need to cut emissions, adapt to extreme heat, and protect communities from flooding and wildfires”.
Alex Croft15 August 2026 13:29
Prince of Wales thanks emergency services for wildfire response
The Prince of Wales has thanked the emergency services for their response to the wildfires across the country.
In a statement, William said: “To the firefighters, emergency responders and volunteers battling wildfires across the UK, thank you.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have lost their homes, and with those working tirelessly to protect communities, homes and the countryside. W”.
(Reuters)
Alex Croft15 August 2026 13:00
Recap: Multiple homes completely destroyed after huge West Midlands fires
Nineteen homes were completely destroyed in the West Midlands after a large wildfire rapidly spread into buildings during the UK’s hottest day of the year.
Huge blazes across the region led to “apocalyptic” scenes, thousands of 999 calls and evacuations, with residents told to “stay away” from their homes as firefighters work to tackle the blaze.
In addition to the 19 homes that were destroyed in Stourbridge, a further 18 were damaged as the fire spread over more than 500 acres.
Crews are still working to tackle the blaze which has left a “significant” number of residents displaced.
Alex Croft15 August 2026 12:30
Burnham facing fresh calls to block North Sea oil and gas drilling
Andy Burnham is facing fresh calls to block new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, after he said “we have to face up to the changing climate”.
Environmental campaigners have warned extraction from the Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field will pave the way for extreme heat in the years to come.
The Prime Minister told reporters on Friday that he wanted to see an acceleration in the transition towards fossil fuel-free energy sources.
He was speaking in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where 19 houses were fully destroyed and 18 damaged in a wildfire this week.
(AFP/Getty)
Almost three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought, and 2026 is the first year on record to see three separate days where temperatures reached the 37C threshold, as well as the first year with four days at 36C or above.
“We have to face up to the changing climate and I think we need a different debate about that,” Mr Burnham said.
“There’s no point denying where we are – we need to face up to it.
“We need more clean energy.
“We need to see that transition accelerate.”
Mr Burnham has faced pressure from Washington DC to approve drilling in the North Sea.
Alex Croft15 August 2026 11:58
Burnham sends in army to battle wildfires in South Wales
As we reported earlier, Mr Burnham has sent in the military to help deal with wildfires across the UK.
“Britain is a tinderbox right now”, the prime minister said, with “37 fires smouldering around the country”.
He said 100 military personnel – from Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, supported by the 22 Engineer Regiment – had been deployed to South Wales to offer “critically needed” support to fight fires throughout the region.
Among their equipment are four water bowsers, each capable of storing and transporting 20,000 litres of water, and a further 100 members of the Armed Forces were deployed on Friday evening.
Aerial firefighting capacity, such as helicopters to dampen flames, will be commissioned at a national level, Mr Burnham added.
Alex Croft15 August 2026 11:33
The UK government alert went off just as BBC Proms was due to play Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’.
Alex Croft15 August 2026 10:30