'Sadly, there will be a next time': Burnham warns wildfire summit as RAF aircraft are set to fight blazes

Speaking at Aintree, Prime Minister Andy Burnham declared 'words are not enough' following a record 1,350 wildfires across England and Wales this year. He cited the Stourbridge blaze, in which 19 homes were destroyed, saying 'we saw homes lost in a heartbeat'. Among the 29 fire services that answered information requests, fewer than half held any wildfire protective equipment. Ministers have pledged £45m to address the shortfall.

A new AI unit within the Cobra briefing rooms will aim to 'spot and fight fires faster'.

Ministers are weighing product bans — including on disposable barbecues — when fire risk is heightened.

The Dunwich Heath fire in Suffolk came to within two miles of Sizewell B nuclear plant.