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Andy Burnham has urged members of the public not to light fires in “tinderbox” Britain, ahead of a meeting with farmers whom he warned are “at the sharp end of a changing climate”.
The Prime Minister is set to unveil a £65 million funding package for farmers at the weekend, amid fears hot, dry weather could drive up food prices on supermarket shelves.
His announcement will follow his visit to Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where a wildfire spread across more than 500 acres and destroyed 19 homes earlier this week.
In the town, he announced a temporary ban on disposable barbecues, and he later urged home cooks and gardeners to “take extra care” by not lighting any fires “in gardens, the countryside or other open spaces, including parks, moorland and wooded areas”.
Millions of people in England and Wales received an alert on their mobile devices on Friday evening, warning them of “a very high risk of wildfires nationally”.
Mr Burnham said the emergency alert system was triggered at the request of fire and rescue officers.
Friday was provisionally a record-breaking 10th day in 2026 where temperatures have exceeded 35C or more, according to the Met Office.
Frittenden, near Ashford in Kent, was among the hottest places, where temperatures reached 35.3C.
The Prime Minister is expected to tell farmers in South West England that “the ability to grow our own food is national security” and will promise to “treat it that way”.
He will also say “farmers are at the sharp end of a changing climate, and they should not be carrying that risk alone” and that he understands the impact of “lower income, higher costs, and no rain in the forecast”.
The new funding package will go towards supporting environmentally friendly food production methods through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), with an extra £50 million for this year’s pot – bringing the total SFI budget to £290 million.
PM sends heatwave wildfire mobile phone alerts to millions as London frazzles in 34C
Huge wildfire in West Midlands destroys 19 homes on UK’s hottest day of year