Advice on controlled burning

Hi - I’m Tim Owen, Community Safety Manager for Wrexham and Flintshire and Wildfire lead for the Service.

I’ve seen first hand how wildfires can be responsible for damaging thousands of hectares of countryside, open space and wildlife habitats.

The burning season runs from the 1^st of October up until the 15 March (up to the 31^st of March in Upland areas)  - farmers and landowners across Wales can burn heather, grass, bracken and gorse  during this period 

There are strict legal requirements for burning – and you must have a burn plan in place to ensure you are burning safely.

We have seen how wildfires put lives at risk – the lives of our communities as well as those of our firefighters. These fires tie up our resources when we could be required at another emergency. In March 2022 the number of wildfires we attended in North Wales rose significantly – by a massive 264%.

The rise in global temperatures affects the growth of vegetation and as a result, the controlled burning period can coincide with drier than usual ground conditions, more vegetation and wildlife activity.

So my appeal is this – if you are burning, please take extra care, follow your burning plan and call us on 01931 522006 to notify us of the time and location of the burn.

Together we can help stop wildfires and protect our countryside.