The UK Government is unable to deploy its military firefighting helicopters to tackle multiple wildfires sweeping Britain because they are currently based more than 2,000 miles away in Cyprus, it can be revealed.
Fire chiefs have called for access to aerial firefighting capabilities to combat a looming risk of larger and more complex wildfires as summer heatwaves become more intense.
More than 200 blazes have been tackled in England and Wales in the last fortnight alone as the UK endures one of its worst years on record for wildfires and is braced for a “firewave” due to the prolonged dry weather.
Shorts
But in stark contrast to other European countries, the battle against these blazes is having to be conducted without any specialist aircraft owned or operated by the authorities.
