Firefighters battled a wildfire in late May near Cannich, south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Some 15 square kilometres burned in one of the largest blazes the UK has seen, with the plume of smoke visible from space.
Nine fire appliances and a helicopter were deployed. Two FBU members were injured and treated in hospital.
A week earlier, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service had announced plans to cut the number of fire appliances, reducing fire cover and impacting firefighters’ ability to respond to incidents.
FBU Scotland’s regional secretary John McKenzie said that politicians “need to decide which side they are on”.
Other wildfires also broke out, including one at Lady Canning’s Plantation in South Yorkshire, with multiple crews attending.
Wildfires require physically demanding work by large numbers of firefighters over long periods, transporting equipment by hand while being exposed to high temperatures.
Cuts directly impact the response to wildfires and put firefighters in danger.
July last year saw the temperature in parts of the UK exceed 40 degrees centigrade for the first time in recorded history, increasing the risk of wildfires.
Firefighter jobs have been cut by 11,500 across the UK since 2010.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “All governments must heed this stark warning: the climate crisis is here now. We need urgent climate action to prevent loss of life, and that must also involve serious investment in our fire services.”
