Burnham to reveal plans for AI unit to tackle wildfires after scorching summer

Firefighters inspect scorched scrubland near Dunwich Heath in Suffolk in July. The ‘apocalyptic’ wildfire came within two miles of the Sizewell B nuclear plant. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

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.

The country experienced its hottest-ever summer this year, with prolonged dry periods and extreme heat fuelling wildfires that triggered an emergency alert to mobile phones in England and Wales. Figures released on 8 October showed a clear upward trend in the number of fires recorded each year.