There is a certain amount of hypocrisy in the present rules.
I was lookig at a broucher for a 3 axis microlight with a cruise of 160mph. As it is a microlight, you can train on it from unlicenced airfields, but it is basically a light aircraft. In fact it out performs many club trainers, which need fire cover at there fields of operation for training.
Is airfield fire cover really going to save lives (or has it really ever done so in the past?) Here I am talking about Special Cat or Cat 1 airfields NOT bigger airports. The fire crews, with the minimum of training, are probably putting themselves at great risk with out much possibility of making much difference in a real fire.
The amount of firefighting media required by law at a Cat 1 airfield would be barely enough, as a first attack, on a small fire (that is if they can get that old knackered Land Rover fire engine started in the first place!).
Most light aircraft accidents are either minor (i.e. heavy landing) or far more rarely, high speed and instantly fatal. Neither involving fire.
But then again fire cover is there for the 'what ifs'...and in the unlikely event we did have a fire most of us would rather be where there was something there!
Then again how many small airfields do take there obligation to provide fire cover seriously...?