A new charter to tackle the problem of wildfires in Wales has been launched at the Royal Welsh Show.

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

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 to bring together Welsh Government, emergency services, public and private organisations, landowners and land users.
  • Environmental and Community Resilience to manage and protect wildlife, forestry and livelihoods.
  • Prevention and Protection to include a diverse range of management techniques to reduce the impact of wildfire.

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.