Salvation Army thanked by PM for Suffolk wildfire response

A coordinator from The Salvation Army’s Emergency Response Vehicle at the Dunwich Heath wildfire was a guest at a reception hosted by Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street last week.

Debbie Charles from Stowmarket, along with 20 volunteers, provided food and drinks to emergency crews as they battled to keep the Suffolk wildfire under control back in July and August this year.

Debbie and the Salvation Army team rotated 11-hour shifts during the 14-day wildfire, serving up hundreds of drinks, rolls and snacks to firefighters, police and other emergency responders. Pastoral support was also available to exhausted crews.

Debbie was among 150 guests from a range of organisations gathered at Downing Street to be thanked by the Prime Minister for their work in responding to the challenge of the 2026 summer heatwaves, going above and beyond to provide vital support to people and communities across the country.

Speaking of the Suffolk wildfire, Debbie paid tribute to all the services who came together to tackle the blaze which affected about 370 acres.

She said: “When we were on site, we became a team. Everyone adapted to what was needed and worked alongside each other. I’d like to thank all the volunteers who gave up their time to serve emergency responders on the frontline.”

At Downing Street Debbie met people involved in other emergency responses, heard their stories and spoke about The Salvation Army’s work.

“It was wonderful to receive recognition from the Prime Minister after what was a challenging summer, and a chance to share experiences with others. We learned a lot from the summer of 2026 about the need to plan for volunteers and supplies for incidents where support could be needed for weeks on end. However tired we were, it was always a pleasure to be able to support the emergency crews, and we want to be here to serve them as long as they need us. 

Debbie said the deployment had raised awareness of the ERV’s work and highlighted the need to plan equipment and supplies for future incidents, where support may be needed for weeks.

“We need to think ahead,” she said. “We want to be ready to support crews for as long as they need us.     

Adrian Clee, National Emergency Response Officer for The Salvation Army said: “Over the summer, The Salvation Army responded to extended wildfires across The UK including in Derbyshire, Greater Manchester and South Wales, as well as the Suffolk incident.

“Coordinators and volunteers provided much needed practical and pastoral support to the emergency services, the Armed Forces contractors and importantly local farmers whose land and livelihood were so badly affected.”