The Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) has praised the exceptional efforts of its staff following a recent period of dry weather which has led to a series of grass fires.
CFO Roger Thomas KFSM has commended the resilience, teamwork and commitment that the Service’s operational crew members and Joint Fire Control (JFC) Centre operators have demonstrated during challenging conditions.
In the last fortnight alone, crews from across the Service’s response area have responded to over 250 individual grass fires.
The increased demands have not only been experienced by Firefighters on the fire ground, but also by operators in the JFC Centre, which is shared between MAWWFRS and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. In the course of that fortnight, JFC Centre operators received a staggering number of calls, dealing with over 1,000 calls during one 24-hour period.
Speaking on the recent series of grass fires, CFO Roger Thomas KFSM said: “The recent surge in the number of grass fires has put immense pressure on our resources, yet our staff have all demonstrated the professionalism, resilience and teamwork that define our Service. Our staff have also shown their continued commitment to protecting the communities we serve.
"Their tireless efforts, often in extreme and challenging conditions, have not gone unnoticed by myself, the Executive Leadership Team and Members of our Fire Authority.”
Head of the JFC Centre, Group Manager Natalie Pearce, said: “Everyone in the Control Room pulled together during this challenging time.
JFC staff demonstrated their hard work and commitment by working extra hours and responding to recall-to-duty requests, which allowed us to better manage busy periods when our calls increased five-fold.”
Notable incidents have included:
A grass fire affecting approximately four hectares of land in Ponterwyd, near Aberystwyth, on Thursday, 6 March.
A grass fire affecting approximately 50 hectares of bracken and trees in Rhaeadr on Wednesday, 19 March.
A grass fire affecting an area of approximately 300 metres by 500 metres of gorse and grassland in Cwmdu in Crickhowell on Thursday, 20 March.
A grass fire affecting approximately 20 hectares of grass, brush and small trees in Cymmer on Sunday, 23 March.
With the weather set to remain dry for the coming week, The Wales Wildfire Board has launched the #WildfireWise campaign, which aims to educate individuals on the best practices for avoiding and preventing wildfires in Wales.
By raising awareness about the potential dangers of wildfires, the campaign will encourage people to be more vigilant when out enjoying the countryside and proactive in reporting suspicious activities that can lead to fires.
Many wildfires are preventable and there are some simple steps and changes to behaviour that can limit their number and impact.
Andrew Wright, new Chair of the Wales Wildfire Board and Senior Specialist Advisor - Plant Health and Knowledge Transfer at Natural Resources Wales said: “Our Wildfire Wise campaign is built on the knowledge and experience partners on the Board have gained over the last decade in dealing with the impact of wildfires across Wales.
“We are encouraging all members of our communities to respect our countryside and play their part in safeguarding our environment and keeping our communities safe.
“It is vitally important that we all continue to work together to build a healthier, more resilient and increasingly biodiverse landscape here in Wales, doing what we can to protect this precious resource for the future.
“While accidents do happen, they are also avoidable, and our Wildfire Wise campaign focuses on educating us all on some of the small steps we can take to ensure we don’t accidentally cause a grass fire to ignite.
“We want to work with our communities, farmers, and landowners to share our knowledge and understanding of the effect that both deliberate and accidental fires have on our communities. We understand that controlled burns can have a positive effect on the environment, creating biodiversity and a sustainable ecosystem and we are available for free advice on how to do this safely.”
“We would also like to take the opportunity to reinforce our messages that while accidents can happen, there are others within our communities who are deliberately setting fire to our countryside – not only is this a crime, for which they will be prosecuted, but it also places unnecessary pressure on front line services and puts our communities in harm’s way.”
By working together with our communities to share our knowledge, the Wales Wildfire Board hope to provide a better understanding of what we can all do to limit accidental fires from happening and in turn the damage they can cause to our environment.
Remember - If are out enjoying the countryside and you do come across any suspicious activity, please call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or ring 101. In an emergency, always call 999.