Monday 24 July 2023 saw the launch of the inaugural Wales Wildfire Charter at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, Builth Wells.

Outlining the commitments of the Wales Wildfire Board, which is comprised of key agencies from across Wales; the Wales Wildfire Charter is a key strategic document which sets out the Board’s approach to managing the risk of wildfire, minimising its impact on the environment and the communities of Wales.

Iwan Cray, Chair of the Wales Wildfire Board and Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Our new Wildfire Charter 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.

“Under the collaborative approach of the Strategic Arson Reduction Board, we have seen considerable successes, achieved through a great deal of determination and hard work by all the agencies involved. However, wildfires across Wales continue to present a clear and present danger to our environment, economy and communities. In recent years, we have seen the early signs of plateauing in incident numbers, indicating a new approach is needed to ensure we can deal with the emerging challenges we are facing.”

Andrew Wright, Deputy Chair of the Wales Wildfire Board and Senior Specialist Advisor - Plant Health and Knowledge Transfer at Natural Resources Wales said:

“Our wildfire charter is formulated around three key themes, each designed to ensure we are able to focus on the areas which not only require the most attention but will also have the biggest influence in improving our understanding of wildfires and how the Board can positively manage their impact.”

The Wildfire Charter themes include:

Partnerships - Through an evolving partnership approach, we will bring together Welsh Government, Emergency Services, Public and Private Organisations, Landowners and Land Users to manage and develop our landscape.

Environmental and Community Resilience - We will contribute to the management of our landscape to protect wildlife, forestry and livelihoods; improve well-being, health and amenity, facilitate sustainable food production and create a sense of place and community ownership.

Prevention and Protection - We will implement a diverse range of management techniques to reduce the impact of wildfire on our communities and the landscape in 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.

Drawing together a multi-agency approach to Wildfire awareness, the Wales Wildfire Board aims to engage with various audiences, working together to support wildfire management, listening and sharing practical solutions for Wales. Through this collaborative approach, agencies on the Wales Wildfire Board hope to provide a better understanding of what can be done to limit the number of wildfire fires, in turn, minimising the damage they can cause to our environment.