A 'severe' emergency alert sent to phones in England and Wales on Friday evening, warning of a 'very high risk of wildfires', sparked widespread criticism and surprise. Many social media users called the piercingly loud tone an 'overreach', while others lamented a lack of government action on decarbonisation.
Reactions to the alert
Former Conservative cabinet minister Thérèse Coffey, who was nine miles away from a nuclear power station when the alert sounded, said on X: 'Was expecting [a] much more specific alert, not a generic message on wildfires.' Academic John Ritzema called it a 'massive overreach' and said the alert system should be 'for 'drop everything and prepare for something terrible' situations'. Coffey echoed this, saying alerts should not become commonplace to avoid 'Peter cries wolf situations'.
Broadcasters were also taken by surprise. The alert sounded live on the BBC's The One Show, with host Ronan Kemp saying: 'We've got some form of fire alarm going on.' Chris Packham used the alert to plug a parliamentary petition calling for a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks.
Wildfire crisis and government response
The alert came as Andy Burnham spent time in Stourbridge in the West Midlands earlier that day after homes were destroyed and residents were left injured by a series of fires. The prime minister warned that Britain 'is a tinderbox right now', with the public set for a 'difficult weekend'.
It has been a record year of wildfires in England and Wales: the number so far has passed the 1,017 recorded in 2025. Fire services declared 11 major incidents in a 24-hour period starting on Thursday. People have been urged not to light barbecues, campfires, fireworks or anything else that could spark a blaze while the wildfire risk remains high, and to call 999 immediately if they spot a fire.
Calls for climate action and measures
The wildfires have prompted calls within the Labour party to accelerate action against the climate crisis. Sadiq Khan warned Burnham not to 'slow down on net zero' and said the heatwave and wildfires showed the need for action on climate change. The London mayor described the planet as being in a 'deeply precarious position'.
'We need reassurance from the government that they won't slow down on net zero or reducing our reliance on oil and gas and that they'll continue accelerating the green investment we need to get our country and planet back on track,' he said.
Burnham announced a temporary national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues, to be enforced immediately, which will remain in place as long as the risk of wildfires remains high. The military was called in to assist stretched emergency services in south Wales, with about 100 personnel deployed and about 100 more due to arrive on Friday evening, distributing water and providing logistical support.
Burnham also announced £65m of extra funding for farmers hit by a drought. He said on X: 'Today we're putting £65m more into supporting farmers through this drought and preparing for the summers ahead. They're on the frontline of a changing climate and they shouldn't be left to face it alone. The ability to grow our own food is national security. I'll treat it that way.'
Britain's cereal harvest is on track to be the worst since comparable records began in 1984, according to an analysis published earlier this month.
