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RAF Chinook crews have already helped respond, external<\/span><\/a> to wildfires in Cyprus.<\/p>\n In addition to military aircraft, the government said it would also spend \u00a345m on wildfire-specific personal protective equipment for firefighters on the ground.<\/p>\n It is lighter than current firefighting equipment which is designed for fires in buildings and not meant to be worn for a long time, the government added.<\/p>\n Ministers are also pledging a \u00a325m scheme from April 2027 to April 2029 to restore dried-out peatlands in England so they are natural firebreaks, and financial support for farmers to fireproof their land such as by digging ponds.<\/p>\n “The government will also look at tougher local restrictions or product bans to stop people starting fires when the risk is high,” a briefing ahead of the summit said, following a temporary ban on disposable BBQs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Burnham will meet fire chiefs, local leaders and experts from tech companies at the summit.<\/p>\n “I stood in Stourbridge and watched families lose everything,” he said on Thursday, recounting the night of a wildfire that destroyed 19 homes in the West Midlands in August.<\/p>\n “I will never forget it. Our firefighters were heroes that day, but heroes shouldn’t have to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.”<\/p>\n Earlier this month, MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said there were weaknesses in the UK’s wildfire preparedness<\/a>, including access to aerial firefighting resources, securing water supplies during major incidents and coordinating resources at a national level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n