Make causing a wildfire through negligence a criminal offence

Wildfires can be environmentally disastrous but can also, like we saw in the summer of 2022, pose a significant threat to life and properties in rural and semi-rural areas. These fires can also tie up a fire service resources and be financially burdensome. To discourage and punish negligent behaviour that leads to the ignition of many wildfires each year, we are asking the Government the introduce legislation to criminalise the ignition of wildfires through negligence, which countries such as Spain have already done.