Jayne Bryant MS calls for recall of Senedd to respond to wildfires

Labour politicians have renewed demands for the Welsh Parliament to be recalled as wildfires ravage parts of South Wales, straining emergency services and causing mounting losses in affected communities.

Fires have flared across Wales, including parts of the Valleys for more than three weeks, with Blaenavon among the hardest-hit areas. And this week, five homes were destroyed in Newbridge, near Caerphilly. No one was injured or killed.

The severity of the crisis led to a Cobra meeting on Thursday with the new Plaid Cymru First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in attendance. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has confirmed that 100 army personnel were being sent to South Wales to help firefighters tackle the blazes.

READ MORE: Crisis? Which crisis?

Jayne Bryant MS, Welsh Labour’s communities spokesperson, has called on the First Minister to recall the Senedd, reiterating a demand she made in an ITV Wales interview last month when wildfires started in Blaenavon. Writing on Facebook, she criticised the Welsh Government, saying: “Leadership is lacking whilst Wales burns.”

A recall would be only the third time the Senedd has reconvened during a summer recess. It last did so two years ago when Eluned Morgan was sworn in as First Minister following Vaughan Gething’s resignation.

In addition to recalling the Senedd, Bryant, a former Minister for Local Government and Housing during the Sixth Senedd, wants the First Minister to lead daily emergency reviews and has urged the Welsh executive to deliver financial support to affected families, businesses and councils.

In a written statement, the Welsh Government said: “An Oral Statement and questions will be timetabled for the first Senedd plenary session following recess”.

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However, the Senedd is not due to return for another month, and the prolonged dry weather could persist for days or weeks in Wales. Pressure is therefore likely to intensify on the new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government to recall the Senedd and set out what further help it will offer communities affected by the wildfires.

Labour-run local authorities in South Wales have been central to the wildfire response. Caerphilly County Borough Council leader Councillor Jamie Pritchard has met with families who lost their homes in Newbridge and said the council would provide temporary accommodation and other support to those affected.

Wildfires are becoming more frequent in Wales, with Welsh fire services responding to 3,474 grass fires in 2025 – a 275% increase on the previous year. The new administration in Cardiff will face growing pressure to control the current crisis and, when the Senedd returns in September, greater scrutiny of its response and plans for future incidents.

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