RAF crews cannot help tackle a spate of British wildfires because of a lack of large buckets used to drop water on the blazes from above, military insiders said.
Military sources have told The i Paper that penny-pinching in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) means the RAF has no usable “Bambi” buckets in the UK, needed to combat wildfires.
The buckets are suspended on a cable from a Chinook helicopter and are filled by scooping up to five tonnes from open water, which is then dropped in a controlled manner on the fires.
What caused man to be partially sucked out of Ryanair plane – revealed
The world was horrified when Ljubisa Karovic, 61, had to be pulled back into the plane by fellow passengers after his window shattered mid-flight last month.
What happened?
- The Serbian entrepreneur was sat in the window seat of a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany last month.
- He told he had been sleeping in his seat when he was woken up by the sound of an “explosion”.
- His lawyer said his head and right arm were pulled out of the aircraft.
- He injured his head and neck, but was saved by fellow passengers who pulled him back into the plane.
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What caused the incident?
A preliminary report into the incident by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found a fan blade in the plane’s right engine broke off mid-flight.
This sent fragments flying at the window, which shattered.
The cabin lost pressure, pulling Ljubisa out of his window as oxygen masks dropped down.
Further findings still to come
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the fan blade to break off, though bird remains were found in the engine of the Boeing 737-800.
The US agency NTSB reprimanded Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary for talking to investors about the investigation, which it said he was not allowed to discuss.
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How probe into Farage’s £5m gift can now reopen
The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, has reopened the probe into a gift given to Nigel Farage.
The timeline of events
The investigation surrounds a £5m gift Farage received from crypto-billionaire, Christopher Harborne.
- Farage received the £5m donation from Harborne shortly before he announced he would run for election in .
- In , revealed the donation.
- On 13 May, the Parliamentary Standards Committee opened an investigation into Farage over an allegation of “failure to register an interest” within the 12 months before his election.
- Farage resigned as an MP on 7 July, which paused the investigation.
- The Clacton by-election on returned a resounding win for the Reform UK leader which reopened the probe.
When could the probe end?
While the standards investigation had been formally paused, The i Paper reported last week that the commissioner has been working over the summer recess.
It means a conclusion on Farage’s financial affairs could come more swiftly than previously anticipated when Parliament reconvenes in September.
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A storm of allegations
Reform has faced intense scrutiny of its finances. It was revealed that the Met Police have been investigating donations to the party from aristocrat Fiona Cottrell and deputy leader Richard Tice.
Last month, reported Farage was being funded by convicted fraudster and crypto-gambler George Cottrell.
What has Reform said?
- Farage and his party have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in their financial conduct.
- A spokesperson for Reform said the £5m was a “personal unconditional gift” which did not need to be declared.
- On the support from Cottrell, Reform explained this was not registered, as it was in a “purely personal capacity”.
- In response to the Met investigation into donations made to the party, a spokesman said: “Reform takes pride in its stringent vetting of donations and always ensures that the Electoral Commission guidelines on donations… are strictly followed.”
Farage claims police advised him not to attend by-election count
The Reform leader claimed he did not attend the count on the advise of Essex Police after a “credible threat” against him.
But The i Paper understands that the force did not advise any candidate not to attend the count.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We have a full and robust policing operation in place. The decision of candidates to attend or not attend the election count is a decision for individuals and their security teams.”
All you need to know as 18 injured after train derails in East Sussex
Two people suffered serious injuries after a Southern Rail train came off the tracks as it approached Lewes in Sussex.
A full investigation has been launched into the incident, with some suggestions that it could have been linked to Thursday’s soaring heat.
Everything we know so far
- The service from London Victoria to Eastbourne derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes just before 4pm on Thursday.
- Eighteen passengers were hurt, with two seriously injured in hospital.
- Three carriages tipped on their side, trapping passengers on board.
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‘I thought I was going to die’
Passenger Rachel Heath told the BBC the derailment was “absolutely terrifying”, adding she thought she “was going to die”.
She said: “The train just started jostling, kind of bumping up and down, and then jostling from side to side like a seesaw, and everyone was screaming.
“I just remember looking around and seeing so much panic and fear in so many people’s eyes.”
What caused the incident?
Experts have suggested the derailment was caused by a “buckled track” due to the scorching temperatures.
Referring to images taken by passengers at the scene, Richard Wilcock, industry editor of , told the : “It’s clearly a buckled track and clearly heat, as we know, stresses the track”.
No official explanations have been issued, and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch is already examining the scene.
When will the heatwave end?
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures peaking at 38.1°C at Kew Gardens in London as the record-breaking summer continues.
This has been the UK’s hottest summer on record, and yesterday ranked as the UK’s fifth hottest day since records began in 1914.
The relentless heat has been coupled with a prolonged dry spell, leading to drought in many areas of the country, particularly severe in the south.
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Record-breaking heat
- The 37 days from 30 June to 5 August counted as the UK’s second-longest heatwave.
- This year, the UK has had at least one heatwave every month since May.
- The whole of Wales and more than 70 per cent of England is now in drought.
- Some parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex have not had rain for 63 days.
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Drought in pictures
When will it end?
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said temperatures will see “a gradual return to average over the next few days”.
Conditions will feel less humid by Saturday, though it will still feel warm.
As for some desperately needed rain, the Met Office said some parts may see thunderstorms later today and into Saturday.
But the next meaningful rain for the driest areas in the south “could be towards the end of next week”.
The Government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues. Andy Burnham told the : “Britain is a tinderbox.”
New advice said single-use grills “have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months”.
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What you need to know as Farage wins Clacton by-election
The Reform UK leader claimed an “overwhelming” victory – but refused to attend the count for safety reasons.
A party spokesperson said there had been a “credible threat” made against him.
Everything you need to know
How did Farage do?
Farage won 22,239 votes in the by-election, securing a majority of 63 per cent.
What about Binface?
The satirical candidate Count Binface received 9,455 votes (27 per cent).
Who was he facing?
There were a record-breaking 34 candidates on the ballot on Thursday, though none from the main parties.
What has the reaction been?
In a brief statement posted on X, the Reform leader said: “The result in Clacton speaks for itself.”
By contrast, the Liberal Democrats said Farage had come away from the election “looking daft”, as most people “who fight against a bin” would.
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Finance probe re-opens
- Part of Farage’s reasoning behind his abrupt resignation last month was the probe into his financial affairs.
- He was being investigated by the parliamentary standards committee over the alleged “failure to register an interest”.
- It concerns a £5m “gift” from a crypto-billionaire in 2024, which Farage did not declare.
- As he has been re-elected, the probe has reopened.
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This is a hollow victory for Farage. His biggest test is about to begin
Farage has defeated a bin but questions still remain over his and Reform’s finances.
How university tuition fees may hit £11,000 a year by 2030
Record numbers of students are set to go to university this year – but they face debts as high as £100,000 when they graduate.
What you need to know
- Students starting four-year courses this autumn are to see their fees rise by more than £800 in their final year.
- Tuition fees will reach £9,790 this autumn and £10,050 next year.
- Keir Starmer’s government said fees would increase with inflation.
- With these costs, added to the maximum maintenance loan for a student living without their parents in London, the total adds up to nearly £100,000.
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Mounting concerns around cost
Lewis Wilson, vice president at the National Union of Students, said the costs of attending university were “astronomical” and students were left with “mortgage-sized” debts.
“It’s a graduate tax for life, but it’s completely unfair,” he said.
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Could the Government backtrack?
Last month, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the issue of student loans was “very much at the top of my in-tray” and described interest charges on Plan 2 loans as “egregious”.
Iain Mansfield, head of education at the Policy Exchange think-tank, said: “Given the increasing concern about the quality of universities, there is a real question about whether or not they’ll choose to go ahead with it. It feels like a fifty-fifty decision.”
Wildfires tear through West Midlands – the latest
This morning, residents in Stourbridge woke up to the burnt-out shells of neighbouring houses after a night of terrifying wildfires swept through the West Midlands yesterday.
What happened?
- A huge blaze near Stourbridge Golf Course set six homes on fire yesterday, with 100 firefighters battling the flames.
- The ambulance service said two people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
- West Midlands chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said “the devastation is extensive”.
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Yesterday, fire crews also fought off a fire in Stoke-on-Trent where four homes were destroyed.
There were further fires in Warwickshire, Druids Heath and Kings Norton in Birmingham, Salford Priors and Pershore in Worcestershire. A woman was also seriously injured in another blaze in Castle Vale, Birmingham.
What has the reaction been?
There are now 11 major incidents declared across the UK, many in the West Midlands.
Phil Garrigan, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, told the BBC: “It’s been a particularly difficult, busy period for the fire and rescue service, where we’ve been under significant pressure.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Awful to see homes and communities hit by fires across the country tonight as the heatwave continues. My thoughts are with everyone affected.”
RAF crews are trained to do this in order to fight wildfires in Cyprus, where the MoD is responsible for providing blue-light services to all residents in its Sovereign Base areas.
But military sources told The i Paper that the MoD made a decision not to buy enough Bambi firefighting buckets when purchasing them in 2024, with one broken “almost immediately” and the other sent to Cyprus. Although more have since been sourced, all are in Cyprus, they said.
An MoD spokesperson insisted the Armed Forces were “ready to help in any way we can” with the wildfires – but admitted they cannot help douse fires from the air.
The UK is currently in the grip of its sixth heatwave of the year, with temperatures exceeding 38°C on Thursday, the hottest day of the year. Wildfires ripped through parts of the West Midlands, destroying homes and putting 19 people in hospital.
‘We could drop five tonnes of water over and over’
One defence source said it was “incredible” that more buckets had not been ordered, because in relative terms they cost a “pittance”.
A second source said that RAF personnel were desperate to play a role in combating the wildfires sweeping the country and are “disappointed” that a lack of equipment is preventing them from doing so.
They said: “We could drop five tonnes of water over and over for 10 hours a day if needed. The crews would absolute love to fight those fires.”
The relentlessly dry, hot conditions have already resulted in more than 1,017 wildfires across England and Wales so far in 2026 according to the National Fire Chiefs Council – beating the record-breaking total for the whole of last year.
With fires continuing to rage in places like the New Forest and South Wales, and infernos destroying homes in the West Midlands on Thursday, questions are being asked about why aerial firefighting capabilities have not been brought to bear to support the over-stretched fire services.
On Thursday the Fire Brigades Union told The i Paper that it would advocate the introduction of wildfire-fighting aircraft “where appropriate”.
New buckets can be acquired in ‘weeks’
The i Paper has been told that the MoD underbought the buckets when purchasing them in late 2024. A defence source said: “Joint Aviation Command [the HQ which manages UK helicopters] were told it had to come out of existing budget so contrary to advice they only bought two”.
The source said that the buckets were previously part of the standard equipment readily available for use by the RAF, and that it was “incredible” that more had not been bought for the national standby aircraft in the UK – the Chinook and crew which is ready 24/7 to respond to domestic crises and emergencies.
The buckets are understood to cost about £50,000, which the source said was a “pittance” compared to many other types of defence equipment.
The i Paper understands that the lead time on ordering new buckets would probably be “weeks not months”. Another option would be to buy or rent buckets from another air force which uses them, such as Canada.
It comes after the Scottish Government declined the use of Chinooks to help with fighting a wildfire in the Cairngorms last month because they could only help with logistics and moving heavy equipment, rather than firefighting.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney had requested help from the MoD, but was told there was no aerial fire-fighting capability in the UK.
In a statement at the time, Swinney said: “The Scottish Government requested military assistance, in the form of aerial support to drop water on the fire.
“The UK Government are not in a position to agree to this request, given that the Ministry of Defence does not possess aerial firefighting assets stationed within the UK.”
Instead the Scottish Government had to use privately contracted helicopters.
Lack of investment
Opposition parties criticised the Government for a lack of investment.
Monica Harding, a member of the Liberal Democrat front bench, said: “The Labour Government promised it would make the country more resilient, following years of underinvestment from the Conservatives that left our Armed Forces decimated without the vital equipment they need to protect our country.
“This is another shameful example of short-sighted and short-term decision-making, which is putting British lives at risk.”
Baroness Bennett of the Green Party of England and Wales said: “The Government’s failure to secure firefighting equipment is more evidence of its gross negligence on preparing for extreme weather, which has already killed thousands across the UK.”
An MoD spokesperson said: “We are working closely with other departments and devolved administrations on the wildfire situation and we are ready to help in any way we can, should support be requested.
“This includes through assets which we hold to support domestic firefighting efforts through movement of personnel, equipment and stores on a national scale.”