Photo: Kensington Palace
Prince William on the growing fire risk in Somerset
The risk of wildfires across Devon and Somerset is growing. At Ilminster Fire Station, Prince William saw how mapping and forecasting tools are used to predict them, and met people who have completed wildfire training.
The risk of wildfires across Devon and Somerset is growing. At Ilminster Fire Station on Tuesday, Prince William saw how Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and its partners are using mapping and forecasting tools to better understand, predict and prepare for them.
Fire and rescue teams are working alongside farmers, landowners and local communities, sharing their expertise to prevent emergencies before they happen. The aim is to help people protect themselves, their neighbours and the landscapes they depend on. The Prince met several of those who have completed wildfire training and heard about it first-hand.
Ready Together
The fire station was the last stop on a longer visit to Ilminster. The main purpose was to launch Ready Together, a new toolkit from the National Emergencies Trust intended to help communities across the United Kingdom prepare for crises such as flooding and wildfires. Prince William is the charity's patron.
Kensington Palace described the background this way: "Research has shown that people are very willing to help in an emergency, including to support their neighbours during a crisis. At the same time, far fewer feel their communities have the structures and plans in place to respond effectively. Ready Together seeks to bridge that gap by turning goodwill into practical preparedness."
A place that has seen both
Ilminster is a well-chosen location. The area has been hit by both severe flooding and wildfires in the past year. In Somerset, the number of homes affected by flooding has nearly doubled between May 2023 and January 2026.
Earlier in the day the Prince took part in an exercise with volunteers and young people, working through a series of emergency scenarios. He met the Ilminster Resilience Group, which helped residents during the flooding, and visited the Sweet Surprise café, which offers work experience to adults with learning disabilities. The actor Ross Kemp, an ambassador for the National Emergencies Trust, also took part.
About the charity
The National Emergencies Trust was set up in 2019 to coordinate fundraising and relief in domestic emergencies in the United Kingdom. It grew out of the experience of the Grenfell Tower fire and the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester in 2017, when separate appeals got in each other's way. Prince William became its patron in April 2020.