Britain to create AI unit in COBRA to detect wildfires — The Guardian

The UK government plans to create an artificial intelligence unit within the COBRA system to help detect and fight wildfires more quickly. The Guardian reports. Plans for the unit are to be presented at the first government summit on tackling wildfires on Friday.

Satellite monitoring

The new unit will operate at the National Situation Centre, which is part of the COBRA briefing rooms complex. Representatives of Google, Airbus and VodafoneThree are expected at the summit. They are to discuss how satellite monitoring and early warning systems can help fight fires.

This year, the United Kingdom experienced its hottest summer on record. Prolonged dry periods and extreme heat contributed to wildfires, prompting emergency alerts to be sent to mobile phones in England and Wales. According to the UK Met Office, the climate crisis made such extreme heat approximately 130 times more likely.

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Equipment and peatland restoration

The prime minister is also expected to announce the allocation of £45 million for specialised protective equipment for firefighters. According to the publication, more than half of the 29 fire and rescue services that responded to requests did not have protective equipment for working at wildfires. Standard filtering respirators do not protect against dangerous gases, including carbon monoxide, which is present in smoke from such fires.

Military aircraft and helicopters are planned to be used to fight fires in hard-to-reach areas — on heathlands, steep slopes and other remote locations. The authorities will also consider introducing stricter local restrictions or banning certain products during periods of high fire risk.

Separately, the government is expected to allocate £25 million to restore dried-out peatlands in England so that they retain more water and serve as natural fire barriers. A grant programme for farmers who improve land resilience to fire is planned to run from April 2027 to April 2029.