65% of local wildfires ‘started deliberately’

With 2025 set to be confirmed as the warmest year on record, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) have revealed that 65% of local wild fires are started deliberately.

The year provided a huge challenge to the Service, with record numbers of wildfires springing up across the area, so it has released new options to tackle the rising wildfire risks as incidents surge and costs escalate.

MAWWFRS has completed a pioneering engagement process to shape its future approach to dealing with wildfires, bringing together operational staff, land managers, partner agencies and community representatives in a series of “Balanced Room” workshops.

This approach ensured all voices were heard equally, fostering collaboration and co-design of solutions to one of the Service’s most pressing challenges: the growing risk and impact of wildfires across Wales.

Why it matters?

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity, driven by climate change and land-use pressures. They pose significant risks to firefighter and community safety, damage ecosystems, and strain resources.

• 65% of wildfires in Mid and West Wales are deliberate (10-year average).
• Grass fire incidents have fluctuated significantly in recent years. In 2022, there were 1,224 recorded fires, making it one of the worst years on record. Numbers then dropped to 671 in 2023 and 381 in 2024. However, 2025 has already seen a sharp rise, with 1,257 incidents so far - surpassing 2022 and marking the highest total in recent years.

• Vehicle accidents linked to wildfire response rose to 102 incidents in 2024/25, adding significant cost pressures.
• Despite a 43% reduction in grass fires in 2024 due to wet weather, unmanaged vegetation increases future fuel loads, heightening risk during dry spells.

What Was Achieved?

Over two workshops and an online outcome session, participants generated and tested a wide range of ideas against essential firefighter and community safety, legal compliance and financial sustainability criteria. As a result of this process, they agreed on five desirable criteria for future appraisal: Collaboration and Partnership, Prevention First, Specialist Capability and Consistency, Learning and Continuous Improvement, and Deliverability and Policy Alignment. From this, a refined long list of proposals was created into a focused set of options for appraisal and executive consideration.

The refined options

The final set of eight core outcomes, plus one cross-cutting enabler, spans prevention, protection, response, and recovery:

• Cross-Cutting Enabler: Communications and Data Integration – reliable connectivity and intelligence sharing underpin every other option.
• Prevention: Education, Liaison, and Behaviour Change – a continuum of public campaigns, farmer engagement, and post-incident learning.
• Policy and Subsidy Alignment: Leveraging the Sustainable Farming Scheme to embed wildfire prevention in everyday land management.
• Protection: Technology, Intelligence, and Mapping – drones, satellite data, and apps for real-time risk awareness.
• PPE, Welfare, and Equipment: Quick wins and long-term investment to safeguard firefighter health and morale.
• Response: Specialist Wildfire Teams and Modular/Flexible Vehicles – dedicated capability and agile resources for rural terrain.
• Aerial Capability: Collaborative development of aerial firefighting assets, including drones and shared helicopter support.
• Recovery: Targeted Post-Event Actions – structured revisits, intelligence updates, and enforcement to reduce recurrence.

Next steps

These options have now been appraised against the agreed criteria, with recommendations presented to the MAWWFRS Executive Leadership Team, where discussions focused on prioritisation, sequencing, and integration into the Service’s wildfire strategy and Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2040 for delivery.

Iwan Cray, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This process has shown the power of collaboration. By listening to our staff, partners, and communities, we’ve developed practical, innovative options that will strengthen our ability to prevent and respond to wildfires. Together, we can build a safer, more resilient Wales.”

For more information on the CRMP 2040 journey and the future approach to dealing with wildfires, visit Community Risk Management Plan 2040 or contact crmp@mawwfire.gov.uk.