<p>PM will also announce funding for specialised protective gear and the deployment of military aircraft</p><p></p><p>The UK government is to create an AI Cobra unit to spot wildfires after this year’s record-breaking summer saw devastating blazes across the country.</p><p>The country experienced its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/01/summer-2026-uk-hottest-on-record-provisional-met-office-data">hottest-ever summer</a> this year, with prolonged dry periods and extreme heat fuelling wildfires that triggered an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/14/emergency-alert-warning-wildfire-risk-sent-phones-england-wales">emergency alert</a> to mobile phones in England and Wales. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/08/july-record-wildfires-england-data-shows">Figures released</a> on 8 October showed a clear upward trend in the number of fires recorded each year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/22/burnham-plans-ai-unit-spot-fight-fires-faster-record-breaking-summer-heat">Continue reading...</a>