As firefighters continue to work hard to contain several wildfires across the UK after one of the driest summers on record, one person went on to ask why it takes to long to get under control10:56, 15 Aug 2026With the record-breaking hot summer the UK has experienced this year and lack of rain, several parts of the country have been affected by various wildfires, including in Stourbridge, West Midlands, where around 40 homes were destroyed earlier this week.‌England and Wales have been struck by as many wildfires in 2026 so far as there were in the whole of last year, new figures revealed. Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the same as last year's record-breaking total. This has seen several homes and natural beauty spots be destroyed.‌In response, the government has issued a temporary ban on disposable barbecues, due to the 'significant risk of the public' they cause. They also sent out a wildfire emergency warning on phones across the UK, where they warned about the exceptionally hot and dry conditions, while also urging people to avoid activities which could trigger a blaze.‌However, the ongoing wildfires have also caused some confusion, as one Brit in Peterborough took to Reddit to ask firefighters why it takes them 'so long' to contain the various wildfires."Firefighters of the UK - please explain something that’s making me feel stupid," the caption of the post read. They went on to explain they lived in Peterborough and had seen updates for the ongoing Holme Fen fires in Cambridgeshire."I’m genuinely wondering how this has been going on for a whole week?" they wondered. "I know nothing about fighting fires. But why can’t a massive container of water just be dumped on these fires by chopper?"‌Firefighter explains reason why wildfires are so difficult to containSeveral people soon took to the comment section to share their thoughts, including a firefighter named Tom who shared his own expertise on the matter. He explained: "Fire can travel underground particularly in areas with peat, and it will just pop up somewhere you don’t necessarily expect."Tom went on to say the firefighters were also facing 'several water issues', explaining that most houses will have a water hydrant nearby they can use when a fire occurs. But when the fire-affected areas are more remote, the nearest hydrant could be far away.‌When this happens, he said they need 'a tonne of hose', or conduct a water relay, where one fire engine keeps travelling back and forth to collect water and bring it back to the area."Each time we can maybe dump about 1500 litres, which when facing a huge wildfire, is nothing," Tom said. "We can empty a full tank in under a minute."He added that while people might have seen wildfires being dealt with via aircrafts or helicopters, he revealed the UK doesn't have firefighter aircrafts, like some other countries do. He said: "The RAF have some limited wildfire capability, but the chinooks and equipment are currently in Cyprus, so of no use to us.Article continues below"The aircraft we are using are not designated wildfire aircraft - they’re whatever we can beg, borrow or steal," he added.Tom went on to say he didn't think the UK have the kit needed to deal with wildfires of the large scale that are currently occurring across the country, saying they're 'still getting to grips' with things like this happening."We are so heavily understaffed across the UK, and have seen cuts upon cuts for years," he added. "We are doing the best we can, but we need a serious investment going forward otherwise this is only going to get worse."