Firefighters across Wales have responded to a number of large fires which have been started deliberately over the past few days. Images of grass and mountain fires have been released which show crews battling flames across the country as Wales basks in the first prolonged period of warm and sunny weather this year.
Last Tuesday, firefighters were called to a wildfire on Cockit Hill in Powys shortly after 6pm. Gorse, bracken and grass was well alight, and crews were at the scene for more than an hour to extinguish a fire that, according to the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, was started deliberately. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
The following afternoon, shortly before 1pm, crews from Talgarth and Brecon responded to large plumes of smoke coming from Llangors Mountain in Bannau Brycheiniog. Upon arrival they found a wildfire of around 30 hectares in size. On this occasion, firefighters took more than seven hours to bring the incident under control, using a wildfire prediction system, natural control lines, wildfire blowers, knapsacks and beaters. Again, the fire was started deliberately.
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Two days later, on Friday morning, crews from Talgarth, Brecon and Llandrindod Wells were called to another wildfire that was started deliberately at the same location. This again had spread to cover an area of around 30 hectares, with firefighters remaining at the scene for more than five hours, using wildfire blowers, a drone, knapsacks, beaters and a wildfire prediction system to bring the situation under control.
Elsewhere in Wales, North Wales Fire And Rescue Service responded to a number of fires over the weekend. A spokesperson for the service said they appeared to be a mixture of deliberately started fires, those with an unknown cause, and some that were the result of carelessly discarded barbecues or cigarettes. The largest fire was in the Aberangell area of Gwynedd, where 10 acres of gorse, grass and branches was alight. Eight fire engines were at the scene during the height of the incident, with crews staying at the scene late into the night before returning again the following morning.
Images released by the fire service following call-outs in Powys in the past few days
Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon, a major grass fire tore through a mountain in the Rhondda, close to people’s homes. One person in the area at the time said the wind was blowing the fire up the valley and that it was “spreading very quickly with a huge cloud of smoke”. Later in the evening, as the fire made its way up the mountain, it started to approach homes on the Rhiwgarn estate in Trebanog. You can read more about that particular incident here.
That incident comes just weeks after a huge mountain fire broke out in the Ton Pentre area in the Rhondda Valley, when residents were warned to stay indoors. You can see a dramatic image from the scene below and more by clicking here.
Peter Greenslade, corporate head of prevention and protection for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I would like to take the opportunity to reinforce our messages that while accidents can happen, there are some within our communities who are deliberately setting fire to our countryside - not only is this a crime, for which they will be prosecuted, but it also places unnecessary pressure on front line services and puts our communities in harm’s way. I would encourage anyone with information relating to such crimes to call 101, or to report anonymously to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111”.
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