Mid and West Wales Fire crews respond to more than 250 grass fires in a fortnight

In the course of a fortnight, Joint Fire Control Centre operators received a staggering number of calls, dealing with over 1,000 calls during one 24-hour period. Credit: Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue

In the last fortnight alone, crews from across Mid and West Wales Fire Service’s area have responded to over 250 individual grass fires.

In the course of that fortnight, Joint Fire Control Centre operators received a staggering number of calls, dealing with over 1,000 calls during one 24-hour period.

These fires include:

  • 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.

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.

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.

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.”

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