Key Points
- The South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) has officially called off the major incident declared in August 2026 due to wildfires.
- In a period of 11 August to 1 September, SWFRS responded to 961 grass fires, including 115 wildfires, out of which 26 were categorized as type 3 (most serious).
- A total of 8,466 calls have been made between 19 July and 1 September, out of which 1,006 calls were made on 13 August alone.
- At one point during the ordeal, the firefighting units had to face up to 14 simultaneous wildfires.
- The Deputy Chief Fire Officer Adam Openshaw and the Area Manager Mark Havell congratulated the efforts of the crews and partner agencies involved as “collective effort.”
- Even though the major incident has come to an end, SWFRS warns that there is still a wildfire threat; the smoldering hot spots could produce smoke.
- Gwent Police and South Wales Police have been investigating the arsons and deliberate setting of fires.
- The public is advised to be careful, stay away from burned grounds and only make 999 calls in case of emergencies.
Wales Fire (Wales Times) September 02, 2026 — The major incident declared across South Wales in response to an unprecedented wildfire crisis has been stood down, South uk/fire/">Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) confirmed on Wednesday. The decision follows more than three weeks of intense firefighting operations that saw hundreds of grass and vegetation fires, including large-scale wildfires that burned iconic moorland and stretched emergency resources to their limits.
As reported by the Abergavenny Chronicle, the major incident was first triggered after firefighters were called to a significant wildfire near Blaenavon at the end of July, with the situation escalating in August when an 80-hectare blaze reignited and required military support and additional UK-wide resources. Just a week later, around 200 hectares of the Llangynidr Moors burned for days, with crews working alongside local farmers, contractors and a specialist helicopter pilot around the clock.
Interim data released by SWFRS shows that between 11 August and 1 September, the service dealt with 961 grass fires, including 115 classified as wildfires, of which 26 reached category 3 status—the highest severity level. From 19 July to 1 September, Joint Fire Control handled a total of 8,466 emergency calls, with a single-day peak of 1,006 calls on 13 August. By contrast, on Monday 31 August, SWFRS answered just 88 calls, illustrating the sharp reduction in incident volume that helped inform the decision to stand down the major incident.
Multi-agency response and official tributes
Speaking to partners, organisations and individuals who supported SWFRS during the major incident, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Adam Openshaw said:
“Over the last few weeks, the people in South Wales Fire and Rescue service have demonstrated incredible courage and professionalism to keep the public safe.”
He added:
“The professionalism shown by all partner agencies has been welcome and impressive, and the willingness to support us as we dealt with this enormous challenge has been nothing short of exceptional.”
Area Manager Mark Havell paid tribute to crews and partners, stating:
“I want to offer my sincere thanks to every colleague across South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and to all those partners who stood alongside us throughout this major incident.” Havell continued:
“The response has shown the very best of public service, people working with care, skill and resolve in difficult and demanding circumstances.”
“This has been a collective effort, and I am proud of the professionalism, compassion and dedication shown by teams across the Service. It is a privilege to say thank you to everyone who has played their part in protecting communities across South Wales.”
The scale of the operation required a multi-agency approach. As reported by ITV News Wales, the fire service declared the major incident on 11 August, with army personnel deployed to help crews dealing with 14 concurrent wildfires across the region at the height of activity. Specialist national resilience resources were brought in to support local crews, and mutual aid arrangements were used extensively.
Ongoing risks and public safety advice
Despite the formal end to the major incident, SWFRS has warned that the risk of wildfires has not entirely disappeared and the public is still asked to remain vigilant. South Wales firefighters will continue to monitor affected areas and respond to any changes in conditions. Communities may continue to experience smoke from some wildfire sites for a period of time as deep-seated hotspots continue to smoulder. Anyone affected by smoke should follow public health advice and take appropriate precautions.
The service reminded the public to avoid activities that could increase wildfire risk and to only call 999 to report a new emergency where immediate assistance is required. People are also advised to avoid walking on areas of land that have been burnt, as the terrain may not be on fire but may still be hot and cause injury. Coordinated efforts will now continue into the recovery phase, with crews focused on mopping up and preventing flare-ups.
Investigations into arson and deliberate fire-setting
Both Gwent Police and South Wales Police continue their investigations into reports of arson and deliberate fire-setting linked to the summer’s wildfires. Partners and key stakeholders are already working to better understand how incidents like those witnessed this summer can be prevented. In a separate but related incident in Pantside, Newbridge, a GoFundMe raised more than £14,500 for families affected by a devastating house fire on Hazelwood Road on 12 August; a 29-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, though police said they did not believe that incident was linked to other wildfires.
Context: how the South Wales wildfire crisis unfolded
The wildfire emergency in South Wales developed over several weeks of exceptionally dry and hot weather, with the Met Office indicating that summer 2026 was the UK’s hottest on record. Fire and rescue services across England and Wales had responded to 1,132 wildfires by mid-August, surpassing the total for the whole of 2025, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council. In South Wales, the situation intensified in late July and early August, with large vegetation fires spreading rapidly across moorland and rural communities.
At the peak, SWFRS was tackling 14 wildfires simultaneously, prompting the declaration of a major incident on 11 August and the deployment of military aid and national resilience teams. Significant blazes included an 80-hectare fire near Blaenavon that reignited in August and a 200-hectare fire on the Llangynidr Moors, as well as a 150-hectare wildfire at Maerdy Mountain in Rhondda Cynon Taf that continued to burn into late August. Assistant Chief Fire Officer Martin Ward White said on 28 August that while the overall situation had improved significantly, underground hotspots could continue to smoulder and pose a risk of reignition.
What could this mean for South Wales communities going forward?
The end of the major incident status is likely to bring immediate relief to emergency services and communities that have lived under heightened alert for weeks, but it also marks a transition into a longer recovery and risk-management phase. For residents in affected areas, the most tangible near-term impact may be lingering smoke from smouldering hotspots, which could affect air quality and outdoor activities until conditions fully stabilise.
In the medium term, the scale of the response—nearly 1,000 grass fires, more than 100 wildfires and thousands of emergency calls in a matter of weeks—could prompt renewed scrutiny of fire service capacity and resilience, particularly in rural and moorland areas. Senedd members have already urged the Welsh Government to review emergency response arrangements following the crisis. Politically, the wildfires have also fed into wider debates about land use and energy policy; for example, Monmouthshire MP Catherine Fookes wrote to Andy Burnham asking him to refuse licences for two oil fields in light of the wildfires, according to the South Wales Argus.
For the general public, the key takeaway from SWFRS messaging is that vigilance must continue even after the major incident is stood down. Avoiding high-risk activities in dry conditions, reporting genuine emergencies promptly and steering clear of burnt terrain are likely to remain central to preventing a repeat of the summer’s worst days. If investigations confirm a significant number of fires were started deliberately, that could also shape future prevention campaigns and policing priorities in the region.
