As if the emergency services didn’t have enough to deal with, the local fire service has launched Operation Dawns Glaw following a spike in deliberately started grass fires across Wales over the weekend.
Last weekend there were 25 separate incidents of grass fires recorded in Wales, with many of them suspected of being started deliberately.
With the dry and warmer weather predicted for the forthcoming weeks, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service are appealing for the public to act responsibly.
Mydrian Harries, Corporate Head of Prevention and Protection for the service and Task Force Lead for Operation Dawns Glaw, said: “There is no place for deliberate fires in our society especially during the current situation. Deliberate grass fires reduce air quality as well as stretch valuable emergency services away from life-saving incidents, so we appeal to everyone to help us to help them at this difficult time.
“Our work to date has shown that members of the public will often know who has started these deliberate fires in their communities and we would urge the public to support our work to stop these fires from starting and reporting those responsible to Crimestoppers or the Police.”
Fire and Rescue Services in Wales have attended 3,230 grass fire incidents over the last five years, which cost the Welsh economy millions of pounds every year, many of which are started deliberately.