RCT top for most deliberate grass fires
THE number of grass fires in South Wales fell to their lowest number on record last year, but Rhondda Cynon Taf had the most in Wales.
The latest figures show that the numbers have almost halved in the last year.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended 931 grassland, woodland and crop fires in 2016-17, down 49% on the 2015-16 figure of 1,833. The 201617 figure is the lowest since at least 2001-02.
Rhondda Cynon Taf had the most grassland, woodland and crop fires in Wales in 2016-17 with around 220.
Ceredigion had the fewest with less than 20 meaning only 1% of fires in Wales started there.
The Wales Arson Reduction Board credited the collaborative approach of its multi-agency task force – Operation Dawns Glaw – with the reduction.
Chair of the Wales Strategic Arson Reduction Board, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mick Crennell said: “Following the unacceptable increase in deliberatelyset grass fires across Wales in 2015, the Wales Strategic Arson Reduction Board developed a new strategy that refocused efforts in the area and broadened the responsibility for arson reduction activity in Wales to a range of multi-agency partners.
“As a result of this partnership approach, we saw a significant reduction in the number of deliberately-set grass fires across Wales. We are convinced that engaging with young people through targeted interventions such as education initiatives, youth intervention programmes and high visual patrols has been key to our success.
“This type of incident can sometimes seem like a bit of fun to young people, but we’ve worked hard to highlight the potential risks they can post to members of the public, the firefighters who tackle the blazes and to those setting the fires.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners to educate and inform young people about the consequences of their actions so that we can continue to build on our success year on year.”
Since 2001-02 the number of grassland, woodland and crop fires has fallen by 82% in South Wales.
Almost all local authorities saw a decrease in the number of grassland, woodland and crop fires in 2016-17, compared with 2015-16. The largest decrease in South Wales was in RCT which saw a 60% drop.
Almost all grassland, woodland and crop fires in Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon Taff were started deliberately with most (between 66 and 78%) occurring on grassland.