27/10/2026
An open letter from our Service to the local farming and rural communities for their support during this summer's wildfires:
Following the exceptional wildfire conditions we experienced this summer, we have recently been holding our internal debriefs within Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. These have given us an opportunity to reflect on what went well, what we can learn, and how we can prepare ourselves for the future. One message has come through particularly strongly, and it is one that I want to acknowledge publicly.
We could not have achieved the outcomes we did without the extraordinary support of our farming and rural communities.
Our firefighters worked exceptionally hard, often in extremely difficult conditions, to contain fires and protect people, property, livestock and our countryside. But this was very much a shared effort.
Time and again, farmers, landowners and members of our rural communities stepped forward to help us. You brought tractors, machinery and bowsers. You ploughed fields and created firebreaks to help stop fires spreading. You moved water to places where conventional fire service access was difficult.
You helped transport equipment and personnel across challenging terrain. You shared your knowledge of the land and, importantly, when we needed help, you were willing to provide it.
That practical assistance made a real difference.
Our debriefs have reinforced just how important that contribution was. While other parts of the country sadly experienced serious consequences from wildfires this summer, including the loss of homes, across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland we were fortunate to avoid injuries and significant property loss during the incidents we faced.
The recent Government Wildfire Summit followed after a summer in which England and Wales experienced more than 1,100 wildfires by mid-August, demonstrating just how significant the challenge has become nationally.
I am extremely proud of the work of our firefighters, our Fire Control colleagues and everyone across the Service who supported these incidents.
But it is equally important that we recognise that we did not do it alone. The actions of our farming community were not simply helpful additions to the firefighting operation. In many cases, they formed an important part of our ability to contain fires, restrict their spread and bring incidents under control.
Today, as Government, fire and rescue services and partners come together nationally to consider the UK's future resilience to wildfire, it seems particularly fitting that we recognise what happened here locally. One of the clearest lessons for me is that resilience is not something that any single organisation can provide. It comes from communities, public services, businesses and individuals working together.
Our farming and rural communities demonstrated that brilliantly this summer.
On behalf of everyone at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and personally as Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, I therefore want to say a sincere thank you.
Thank you for your equipment.
Thank you for your expertise.
Thank you for your local knowledge.
Thank you for your time, often given while you were managing the pressures and risks to your own land, crops, livestock and livelihoods.
And, above all, thank you for standing alongside our firefighters when your community needed you.
Wildfire is an increasing challenge for fire and rescue services and for the communities we serve. National work is already highlighting the importance of land management, emergency access, water availability, firebreaks and closer working between land managers and Fire and Rescue Services. Our experience this summer has demonstrated the value of that partnership very clearly.
We will take the lessons from this summer forward and continue working with our farming and rural communities to strengthen our collective preparedness for future periods of extreme wildfire risk.
For now, however, I simply want to recognise what you did.
The excellent outcomes we achieved this summer belong not just to Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, but to everyone who stood alongside us and helped protect our communities.
You have our respect, our appreciation and our sincere thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Callum Faint
Chief Fire and Rescue Officer
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
