Operation Dawns Glaw: Multi-agency taskforce reformed to help tackle impact of grass fires across Wales

Multi-agency task force Operation Dawns Glaw has been re-established to reduce and potentially eliminate the impact of grass fires across Wales, focusing on both deliberate and accidental fires.

This task force was initially formed in 2016 by the All Wales Strategic Arson Reduction Board to combat deliberate grass fires across Wales.

But now, the organisation is turning its attention to accidental fires, which are often caused by the careless behaviour of people enjoying the countryside.

In 2022, the fire services across Wales responded to 3,269 grassfire incidents, indicating a 62% increase from the previous year.

Deliberate grass fires also rose by 47% to 2,263, which were mainly caused by hot, dry weather in July and August, resulting in a second spike of incidents, in addition to the activity in March and April.

The destruction of thousands of hectares of countryside, open space, and wildlife habitats caused by fire is a yearly issue.

The objective is to work with communities to establish a more resilient, biodiverse countryside and reduce the damage that accidental fires cause to the environment.

Chair of Operation Dawns Glaw, Peter Greenslade, said, “It is vitally important that we all continue to work together to build a healthier, more resilient and increasingly biodiverse landscape here in Wales, doing what we can to protect this precious resource for the future.”

Operation Dawns Glaw will be working with communities and sharing its knowledge to gain a better understanding of what needs to be done to reduce the harm caused by accidental fires.

This reformed task force will be launching the Operation Dawns Glaw campaign in the coming months as the weather improves, nights become lighter, and usage of the landscape, countryside, and grassland of Wales increases.

The organisation aims to raise public awareness and encourage cooperation among communities to protect the countryside and promote a sustainable future.