RAF crews cannot help tackle a spate of UK wildfires because of a lack of 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.
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.
A Bambi Bucket suspended beneath a Royal Netherlands Air Force CH-47 Chinook helicopter collects water from the River Meuse in Geijsteren, to battle a wildfire sweeping through a nature reserve in south-eastern Netherlands on August 4.(Photo by Sem van der Wal / ANP / AFP via Getty Images) / Netherlands OUTWith 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.”
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