MP demands more resources to tackle growing wildfire threat in Wales

Nation.Cymru staff

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader has called for more resources to tackle wildfires in Wales after raising concerns about the response to a major blaze which burned for more than two weeks.

Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, raised the issue with the new Secretary of State for Wales during Wales Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

She highlighted the wildfire in the Rhinogydd mountains near Cwm Bychan, which broke out in July and spread across remote and environmentally sensitive terrain.

Firefighters from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service spent days tackling the blaze, with the remote location making the operation particularly challenging.

Aerial support was not immediately available because of demand for specialist aircraft elsewhere in the UK, according to Plaid Cymru, although it was deployed later to help crews tackle remote hotspots and prevent the fire spreading.

Mrs Saville Roberts told the Commons: “The Rhinogydd mountains of Eryri National Park are the last true upland wilderness in Wales.

“They burned for over two weeks in July causing immeasurable damage to peatlands and wildlife.

“Despite heroic work by local firefighters, there were no UK-wide resources available, including the military, to tackle this ecological disaster.

“What steps is he taking to ensure Welsh Government have sufficient resources in the face of overwhelming climate change?”

Challenges

Mr Kinnock said: “My understanding is that there were challenges around the helicopter capability. I think decisions were taken by Natural Resources Wales some time ago in changing the way that the tendering worked for helicopter capability.

“We certainly need to look at that, but I also would hope that she would welcome the fact that when the Welsh Government and the fire services did put in a request for MACA, the MACA request was turned around by myself within an hour.

“And so that shows, I think, Team Wales partnership between the Ministry of Defence and the Welsh authorities to get on top of these deeply troubling situations.”

MACA – Military Aid to the Civil Authorities – is the formal process through which civilian authorities can request Ministry of Defence support during an emergency.

Calls for military assistance were made during the Rhinogydd wildfires after specialist aerial firefighting helicopters were initially unavailable because of high demand elsewhere in the UK.

Increasing threat

Speaking afterwards, Mrs Saville Roberts said the fire had demonstrated both the increasing threat posed by wildfires and the difficulties faced by emergency services when tackling incidents in remote areas.

She said: “The wildfire in the Rhinogydd mountains demonstrated both the scale of the threat we face and the remarkable commitment of crews on the ground.

“They worked tirelessly in demanding conditions to bring the fire under control. However, these incidents also exposed shortcomings in the support available to Wales.

“Firefighters were too often left tackling major wildfires without the aerial assistance that can be crucial in containing blazes and supporting crews in difficult terrain.

“As climate change increases the frequency and severity of wildfires, we must ensure that our emergency services have the resources, equipment, and operational support they need.

“That includes examining how aerial firefighting capability can be made available when major incidents occur.”

Mrs Saville Roberts said the fire had also raised questions about how quickly Wales could access specialist UK-wide resources, including aerial and military support, during major incidents.

She welcomed plans by First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to hold a Wildfire and Resilience Summit next month bringing together agencies and emergency services to discuss preparations for future incidents.

Mrs Saville Roberts added: “If Wales is to meet the growing threat posed by wildfires, the UK Government must also play its part by ensuring that Welsh fire and rescue services have access to the investment and support necessary to keep our communities safe.

“The people of Wales deserve confidence that every available resource will be there when communities, livelihoods and our natural environment are under threat.”

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