Statement from Gareth Beer MS on the Escalating Rhandirmwyn Wildfire

I am issuing this statement as the wildfire affecting Rhandirmwyn continues to escalate. The fire has been burning since Wednesday and has grown to cover an area of more than 250 hectares.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has declared a major incident given its scale, complexity, and potential impact, and a number of residential properties in the Rhandirmwyn and Llandovery areas have been evacuated as a precaution.

I want to thank Carmarthenshire County Council for establishing an emergency rest centre at Llandovery Leisure Centre for those affected, and I strongly encourage anyone who has had to leave their home to make use of it. My thoughts are with everyone across Sir Gaerfyrddin impacted by this crisis;

I am praying for the safety of every resident and for the safe return home of all evacuated families. To the firefighters who have now been working for well over 48 hours in punishing, changeable conditions: thank you. Your dedication and endurance through this sustained operation deserve my deepest gratitude. That goes for every crew supporting this response, including outside crews drafted in to assist, as well as the local farmers who have stepped up night and day with their own tractors and personal water tankers to protect our countryside and save homes. However, we must address why our frontline services are being pushed to breaking point.

This emergency lays bare years of systemic failure and underinvestment by Cardiff Bay. Our rural fire services have been starved of basic operational resources, while top-down, restrictive land-management policies have turned our countryside into a tinderbox. While emergency rest centres and multi-agency groups are vital right now, they are sticking plasters on a crisis caused by political neglect.

The Welsh Government must immediately step up, underwrite all emergency operational costs, deliver permanent funding for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and replace ideological land management with common-sense policies that trust our farmers and protect rural Wales.

I urge the public to stay away from the area, follow all guidance from emergency services, and refrain from flying drones near the incident so crews can operate safely. I will continue to monitor the situation closely and press ministers for the long-term support Carmarthenshire deserves.

Gareth Beer AS/MS

Senedd Member for Sir Gaerfyrddin