The London Assembly has warned it is “concerned” about a lack of lightweight personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters, despite an “ever-greater likelihood” of wildfires breaking out in the capital over the coming years.
It comes as new data reveals that Bexley has endured more outdoor fires than any other London borough in recent years, with 334 such blazes recorded in the summer periods between 2020 and 2023.
Published by the Assembly’s Research Unit, the data shows that Havering was close behind with 315 outdoor fires in the same period, and Hounslow in third place with 289.
Most of those fires took place in 2022, when a July heatwave - combined with particularly low rainfall - led to the London Fire Brigade experiencing its busiest day since the Second World War. In Wennington, a village on the edge of Havering, several homes were destroyed.
Hina Bokhari, the Liberal Democrat chair of the Assembly’s fire committee, said: “Wildfires are a worrying threat to the safety of Londoners, with increased temperatures caused by climate change leading to an ever-greater likelihood of such incidents – as we have seen in the data from Bexley and other London boroughs.
“Many lessons from 2022 have been learned, with the LFB introducing new equipment and regularly speaking to partners in the UK and overseas to improve how it trains for and responds to outdoor fires.
“But it is very concerning that lightweight PPE is still not available two years on – limiting our firefighters’ ability to carry out their vital jobs effectively and safely.”
In a letter to LFB commissioner Andy Roe, Ms Bokhari pointed out that this lightweight PPE was identified as necessary in the major incident review following the 2022 wildfires.
The review found that the PPE shortage led to 95 incidences where staff couldn't work, with female firefighters "disproportionately impacted" and twice as likely as male firefighters to be unable to go out to tackle fires.
Ms Bokhari wrote in her letter: “The committee would welcome assurances from you that the trials of lightweight PPE currently running in the east of London are concluded and the resulting decisions over procurement taken quickly.”
She also asked whether the LFB “will be pressing the Government to prioritise a national strategy for wildfires in the light of climate change and to provide more support to fire and rescue services in preparing for this risk”.
Jonathan Smith, the LFB’s deputy commissioner for operational preparedness and response, agreed with Ms Bokhari that climate change is causing “extreme weather” events in the capital to increase “in frequency and intensity”.
He said: “The safety and wellbeing of firefighters is of the utmost importance. We have introduced new protective headwear and additional hydration packs. A trial of lightweight PPE for firefighters working outdoors in extremely hot conditions is currently ongoing and data from that trial will be used to help determine the best approach going forward.
“We have also held several roadshow events, offering firefighters the chance to look at various PPE options and provide feedback. This all supports our work to enhance our response to these types of fires, which includes new equipment, training and planning...
“As climate risks emerge, there needs to be a review of the current legislation to ensure fire rescue services have the relevant or required powers and resources to reduce the impact of extreme weather on our communities.”
The concerns raised by the committee come just a couple of weeks after mayor Sadiq Khan admitted that London “isn’t ready” for the a rise in extreme weather events.
“The short answer is, yes, we’ve learnt the lessons since the busiest week since the Second World War, but no, we’ve not done all that we can do to adapt [to climate change],” he told the Assembly.
