Swansea mountains swept by wildfire in blaze seen for miles

Mountains in Wales were engulfed by fire on Tuesday night, which could be seen from miles away.

Firefighters responded to the wildfire at Mynydd Gelliwastad in Clydach, Swansea, which saw 20 hectares of gorse set alight at 7pm on Tuesday night.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue told The Independent they received around 160 calls over the blaze, with crews from Morriston, Pontardawe and Neath Fire Station called out to tackle the fire.

Fire beaters and blowers were used to extinguish the blaze, with the fire crews leaving after 11pm.

The blaze was so big that it could be seen from the M4 and other parts of the city, but there were no reported injuries from the incident.

Swansea wasn’t the only place in Wales dealing with grass fires on Tuesday, as South Wales Fire and Rescue attended two grass fires in Caerphilly, near the A469 Pwllypant and Cedar Tree Roundabout.

North Wales Fire and Rescue put out a warning to citizens to be “wildfire wise” after the Service attended two large-scale wildfires in the Gwynedd area over the weekend.

Over 185 hectares of grassland and gorse were impacted by the incidents, which required a response from “multiple crews”.

A spokesperson confirmed “no one was harmed during these incidents.”

It is currently burn season, in which farmers and landowners engage in the controlled burning of vegetation, like heather and grass, for land management purposes.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue have promoted the Burn To Protect programme, in partnership with the Wales Wildfire Board, where farmers and landowners work with their local fire service to make sure they burn responsibly and safely.

Iwan Cray, Chair of the Wales Wildfire Board and Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, urged landowners to implement effective fire prevention strategies when burning their land.

“As land managers, you play a critical role in safeguarding our communities from the devastating impacts of wildfires. Your land and livelihood are not just vital to you but are also essential to our broader ecosystem and economy,” he said.