Grassland fires: April 2019 to March 2020

Main points

Fires

• The Welsh Fire and Rescue Authorities attended 2,189 grassland, woodland and crop fires in 2019-20, a fall of 45% on the number in 2018-19.
• The number of grassland fires is prone to fluctuation and this drop in numbers follows a 92% increase in 2018-19.
• There were fewer than half the number of primary grassland fires in 2019-20 compared with 2018-19.
• Numbers of secondary grassland fires also fell, by 45% in 2019-20 (compared with 2018-19)
• In 2019-20, over three quarters of fires on grassland, woodland and crops were started deliberately.
• 32% of grassland fires in 2019-20 occurred in April 2019, more than 3 times as many as in April 2018. Met Office weather data shows April 2019 saw around 24% more hours of sunshine and 15% less rainfall, compared with April 2018.
• Half the number of grassland fires in 2019-20 occurred in South Wales; 37% were in Mid and West Wales and 13% were in North Wales.

Casualties

• There were 6 non-fatal casualties from grassland, woodland and crop fires in Wales in 2019‑20.
• The last fatality resulting from a grassland fire occurred in 2007-08.

Damage

• In 2019-20, more than half of grassland, woodland and crop fires damaged an area less than 20 square metres.
• A fifth damaged an area of more than 200 square metres.