86 deliberate fires lit across south Wales during…

86 deliberate fires lit across south Wales during heatwave with 50 firefighters battling on Rhigos Mountain alone

Over 50 firefighters worked into the night to tackle a mountain fire in the Welsh Valleys. The fire service was alerted to the grass fire on Rhigos Mountain, Treherbet, at around 1.09pm on Sunday, August 14.

Emergency services received over 40 repeat calls about the incident, and several crews from across south Wales attended the scene alongside emergency service colleagues.

Tackling the fire enlisted the help of "specialist resources" including a helicopter, Polaris all-terrain vehicle and water browsers. Fire crews also used equipment such as hose reels, beaters, and leaf blowers to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading further.

The decision was made to close the A4061 Rhigos Mountain Pass in both directions between Rhigos Road and Hirwaun Industrial Estate Treherbert, following the proximity of the fire to the cliff. As a result, damage to the cliff netting allowed loose boulders to fall into the road.

After crews returned to the scene to inspect the area, it was discovered that the fire had reignited and immediate action was taken to manage the fire once again. It is estimated that 20 hectares - around 25 football pitches - worth of grass, gorse, and forestry were affected by the fire.

The A4061 Rhigos Mountain Pass has been closed in both directions (Richard Swingler)

The situation was eventually resolved and crews received a stop message just before 2am on Monday, August 15. The road remains closed with Councillor Andrew Morgan confirming it could be days until the road reopened. He said: "Council Officers attended this evening and assessed road will need to stay closed. Engineers will attend on Monday, subject to safety works being carried out and proactive barriers put in place, road MAY reopen under temporary traffic lights in few days."

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said there were approximately 86 suspected deliberate grassfires during the four-day amber weather warning period between August 11 and August 14. Elsewhere, crews from 20 stations in Pembrokeshire were called to a fire at an industrial estate in Milford Haven and remain on the scene today. Read more about that here.

A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "At approximately 1:09pm on Sunday the 14 ^th of August 2022, we received reports of a grass fire on the Rhigos Mountain in Treherbert. Multiple crews from Fire and Rescue Stations across South Wales attended the scene alongside emergency service colleagues and partner agencies.

"Specialist resources were mobilised to the scene to help tackle the fire, including a helicopter, Polaris all-terrain vehicle and water browsers. Crews utilised specialist equipment such as beaters, hose reels and leaf blowers to manage the fire and preventing it from spreading further.

"The road was closed as a safety precaution due to the proximity of the fire and damage to cliff netting which caused loose boulders to fall onto the road. A reinspection of the area was scheduled as a safety precaution and upon arrival crews discovered that the fire had reignited and took immediate action.

"The fire affected approximately 20 hectares of grass, gorse and forestry trees. A stop message was received at approximately 1:58am on Monday the 15th of August 2022."