Wave of fires rage in valley
Firefighters under pressure as heatwave continues
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a large forest fire near two recycling centres on Monday.
huge plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the fire near the Ty amgen and Bryn Pica sites, near Llwydcoed.
South Wales Police was assisting South Wales Fire and Rescue Service in tackling the large fire and a helicopter was seen dousing the area with water.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council said the recycling sites were closed at 2.30pm on Monday and the fire service advised residents living nearby to keep windows and doors closed.
a spokesman for the council said: “The last few days have seen a significant number of grass fires in Rhondda Cynon Taff, in particular at Maerdy, Mountain ash, and most recently at Llwydcoed.
“The latter fire has resulted in the temporary closure of the Ty amgen Cymru and Bryn Pica sites at Llwydcoed.
“South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is once again working tirelessly to keep our communities safe, on both land and from the air with the use of helicopters.
“Grass fires not only destroy our natural habitat and environment, but they also endanger the lives of wildlife, livestock and the general public, as well as the firefighters themselves.
“They also result in the deployment of valuable resources and personnel to contain these fires, resources which may be needed elsewhere.
“There is also a significant cost to the public purse of dealing with these fires.
“anyone found deliberately starting grass fires face prosecution and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council will continue to work in partnership with the emergency services.”
an eyewitness at the scene said: “I think the fire was first noticed at about
midday. There’s quite a bit of forestry up here.
“The spread of the fire is a couple of hundred metres wide, I’d say. It’s running down the hill.
“The wind is coming from the east, so it’s blowing smoke towards Llwydcoed.”
he added that several emergency crews were at the scene.
on Tuesday morning, firefighters tackled a blaze on Llanwonno Road, Mountain ash.
a South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said two appliances and an all-terrain vehicle were at the scene.
Crews were called to the scene just after midnight.
It came after a busy weekend for fire crews.
Large areas of Maerdy Mountain in Rhondda Cynon Taff were left scorched and blackened after a two-day fire on three different sites.
on Friday night, residents in Maerdy reported heavy smoke in the area as the fire grew to a mile in width.
Maerdy Mountain Road was also closed, with people urged to stay away from the area and shut windows and doors.
at the height of the fire seven hectares of grass and bracken were reported to be alight, with the flames continuing until Sunday morning.
over the weekend fire and rescue services were stretched to maximum capacity after receiving nearly 600 calls during one shift on Saturday.
With the hot weather set to continue into this week, fire crews have urged people to avoid “unnecessary fires” including camp fires and barbecues.
Mountain ash resident Ross Williams said residents in the area have resorted to sleeping with “one eye open” after the fire.
The father of two said: “The flames were 13 metres from my house, it was the wind that took it around the back of my house.
“There are trees surrounding my house, as I live on the mountain, and they went up like a candle wick with the weather being so dry and arid.
“Residents are sleeping with one eye open.”