Deliberate fires spark warning
FIREFIGHTERS across Wales have responded to a number of large fires which have been started deliberately in the past few days.
Crews have battled flames across the country as Wales basks in the first prolonged period of warm and sunny weather this year.
On Saturday afternoon a major grass fire tore through a mountain in Rhondda, close to people’s homes.
One person said the wind was blowing the fire up the valley and it was “spreading very quickly with a huge cloud of smoke”. Later, it started to approach homes on the Rhiwgarn estate in Trebanog.
That incident came weeks after a huge mountain fire broke out in Ton Pentre, in Rhondda, when residents were warned to stay indoors.
Last Tuesday firefighters were called to a wildfire on Cockit Hill in Powys shortly after 6pm. Gorse, bracken and grass were 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.
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. On this occasion firefighters took more than seven hours to bring the fire under control, and again, it had been started deliberately.
On Friday morning, crews from Talgarth, Brecon and Llandrindod Wells were called to another wildfire, 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 to bring the situation under control.
Elsewhere, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service responded to a number of fires over the weekend. A spokesman said they were 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 were alight.
Eight fire-engines were at the scene during the height of the incident, with crews staying at the scene far into the night before returning the following morning.
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 frontline 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.”