Climate complacency has left firefighters ill-prepared, says union chief

Matt Wrack says this summer’s wildfires should act as a wake-up call to government to engage with those on the frontline. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

A “horrible complacency” about the impact of the climate emergency on the fire service has left it under-funded and ill-prepared, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union has warned.

Matt Wrack said firefighters were at the sharp end of tackling the impact of climate change and warned that this summer’s wildfires had to act as a “wake-up call” to the UK government to engage with those on the frontline.