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, March 6th.
- A grass fire affecting approximately 50 hectares of bracken and trees in Rhaeadr on Wednesday, March 19th.
- A grass fire affecting an area of approximately 300 metres by 500 metres of gorse and grassland in Cwmdu in Crickhowell on Thursday, March 20th.
- A grass fire affecting approximately 20 hectares of grass, brush and small trees in Cymmer on Sunday, March 23rd.
Wales Wildfire Board
MAWWFRS is a member of the Wales Wildfire Board, a multi-agency approach to better understand and manage the risk of wildfire on the environment and the communities of Wales.
Every year, fire is responsible for the destruction of thousands of hectares of countryside, open space, and wildlife habitats. Partners of the Wales Wildfire Board commit to working with communities to build a healthier and more resilient landscape, by developing a more biodiverse countryside for the future. Read more here.
