Firefighters Raise Concerns Over UK Wildfire Water Supplies

Source reports published 21 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 2:49 pm AEST

Growing concerns have emerged regarding the availability of water for firefighters tackling UK wildfires, with limited supplies and restricted access due to drought conditions. MPs have called for a statutory framework to ensure water companies fulfill their responsibilities during major fire incidents.

What happened

• Firefighters across the UK have expressed growing concerns over water supplies during the summer, particularly following record-breaking heat and prolonged dry periods.
• The National Fire Chiefs Council chair, Phil Garrigan, stated that limited water supplies led to fires developing more quickly and that replenishing water carriers took extended periods, such as 40 minutes in Stourbridge.
• Similarly, the New Forest wildfire faced significant challenges maintaining water supply.
• Fire services typically draw water from mains and open sources, but drought conditions have severely restricted access to lakes and rivers.
• Dave Swallow of the NFCC highlighted the need to adapt response plans due to water availability concerns.
• An NFCC survey revealed that 81% of UK fire and rescue services had altered their emergency response plans due to water supply issues.
• The Environment Agency estimates England’s public water supply could be short by 5bn litres a day by 2055 without urgent action.
• The EFRA committee has called for water for firefighting to be recognised as a critical public safety requirement and for water companies to assess and verify their ability to support firefighting operations.

Original reporting

• Guardian: Firefighters voice growing concerns over water supplies to tackle UK wildfires
  2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00
• Sky News: Firefighting planes and barbecue bans needed to combat Britain's wildfire risk, MPs warn
  2026-10-21T04:49:00+00:00