50 signatures reached
To: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Protect Pembrokeshire from Wildfire: Give the National Park the Power to Act
We call on Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to investigate, consult on and prepare the legal framework needed to introduce temporary restrictions on recreational fires and barbecues when wildfire conditions become exceptionally dangerous.
The framework should cover beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, including the Preseli region, and should allow restrictions to be activated when defined wildfire-risk conditions are met.
The aim is to prevent avoidable wildfire ignitions while allowing recreational campfires to continue during ordinary summers when conditions do not warrant restrictions.
The framework should cover beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, including the Preseli region, and should allow restrictions to be activated when defined wildfire-risk conditions are met.
The aim is to prevent avoidable wildfire ignitions while allowing recreational campfires to continue during ordinary summers when conditions do not warrant restrictions.
Why is this important?
The framework should cover beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, including the Preseli region, and should allow restrictions to be activated when defined wildfire-risk conditions are met.
The aim is to prevent avoidable wildfire ignitions while allowing recreational campfires to continue during ordinary summers when conditions do not warrant restrictions.
I am deeply concerned about the growing risk of wildfire to Pembrokeshire's extraordinary coastline and open countryside. The cliffs, coastal slopes, heathlands, grasslands and beaches of Pembrokeshire are among the most beautiful and distinctive landscapes in Wales. Once a wildfire takes hold in these dry landscapes, the damage can be extensive, and in some places it can take many years for vegetation and habitats to recover.
Recent wildfires have shown that this is not a theoretical risk. We have seen serious fires in the Preseli region and elsewhere in Pembrokeshire, while the wider region has experienced increasingly severe wildfire incidents. In August 2026, the UK Government went as far as issuing an emergency alert across England and Wales warning of the very high risk of wildfire and specifically asking people not to use disposable barbecues and fire pits.
I believe we should do more to prevent avoidable fires before they start.
I am not calling for an automatic annual ban on campfires. I recognise that many people enjoy a properly managed recreational campfire, particularly at campsites, and that this is part of the experience of visiting the coast and countryside.
What I am asking for is more practical and proportionate: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority should do the legal and consultation work now so that it has the power to introduce a temporary prohibition on campfires and barbecues when conditions become exceptionally dry and the wildfire risk becomes dangerously high.
That could include beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, particularly in the Preseli region. Clear criteria could determine when restrictions are activated, allowing them to remain unused during ordinary summers and to be brought into force when genuinely necessary.
I don't want to see the beautiful Pembrokeshire coastline scarred by wildfire because of an entirely preventable recreational ignition. I don't want to see wildlife habitat, heathland, grassland and coastal vegetation destroyed, or firefighters placed in danger tackling fires that could have been avoided.
We have the opportunity to prepare before the next extreme wildfire occurs. We should use it.
I am asking people who care about Pembrokeshire's coastline and countryside to support this proposal and show the National Park Authority that there is public support for a sensible, precautionary approach to wildfire prevention.
The aim is to prevent avoidable wildfire ignitions while allowing recreational campfires to continue during ordinary summers when conditions do not warrant restrictions.
I am deeply concerned about the growing risk of wildfire to Pembrokeshire's extraordinary coastline and open countryside. The cliffs, coastal slopes, heathlands, grasslands and beaches of Pembrokeshire are among the most beautiful and distinctive landscapes in Wales. Once a wildfire takes hold in these dry landscapes, the damage can be extensive, and in some places it can take many years for vegetation and habitats to recover.
Recent wildfires have shown that this is not a theoretical risk. We have seen serious fires in the Preseli region and elsewhere in Pembrokeshire, while the wider region has experienced increasingly severe wildfire incidents. In August 2026, the UK Government went as far as issuing an emergency alert across England and Wales warning of the very high risk of wildfire and specifically asking people not to use disposable barbecues and fire pits.
I believe we should do more to prevent avoidable fires before they start.
I am not calling for an automatic annual ban on campfires. I recognise that many people enjoy a properly managed recreational campfire, particularly at campsites, and that this is part of the experience of visiting the coast and countryside.
What I am asking for is more practical and proportionate: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority should do the legal and consultation work now so that it has the power to introduce a temporary prohibition on campfires and barbecues when conditions become exceptionally dry and the wildfire risk becomes dangerously high.
That could include beaches, coastal slopes, inland commons and mountain land, particularly in the Preseli region. Clear criteria could determine when restrictions are activated, allowing them to remain unused during ordinary summers and to be brought into force when genuinely necessary.
I don't want to see the beautiful Pembrokeshire coastline scarred by wildfire because of an entirely preventable recreational ignition. I don't want to see wildlife habitat, heathland, grassland and coastal vegetation destroyed, or firefighters placed in danger tackling fires that could have been avoided.
We have the opportunity to prepare before the next extreme wildfire occurs. We should use it.
I am asking people who care about Pembrokeshire's coastline and countryside to support this proposal and show the National Park Authority that there is public support for a sensible, precautionary approach to wildfire prevention.
