A wildfire that came within metres of homes in the Welsh village of Blaenllechau has been deliberately reignited, leaving residents angered and disgusted. A thick cloud of smoke and an awful smell of ash now hang over the village each morning.
Fire reignited after deliberate act
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said the wildfire in Llanwonno and Penrhys had been reignited after a deliberate fire was started in the area on Saturday. The original incident began on August 1 and has since spanned an area larger than 500 football pitches.
Extra police patrols have been put in place to deter further fires, and the fire service's arson reduction team is also involved. Residents are facing another period of smoke and uncertainty after days of fearing the flames could reach their homes.
Residents voice frustration
Glynda Mills, who lives close to the mountain in Blaenllechau, said she was anxious and frustrated to see the fire starting again. “Obviously it’s a tragedy and it’s frustrating because there’s no end to it all. We’re okay. Last night was very, very smoky again so it did cause a bit of concern, going to bed and wondering if it’s near or if it’s just wind. The smoke was worse last night than [last time] but it seems okay today,” she said.
Mills, who is in her 70s, said she was particularly upset by the suggestion that the fire had been deliberately started. “I’m anxious and frustrated to think it’s happening all again, and that someone deliberately did it allegedly,” she said. “You start to think there are people in the world worse off than us, we are being looked after, but it’s generally frustrating.”
Mills said Caban Guto, a charity café where she volunteers, has been unable to reopen because of the fire. “We last opened on Sunday, August 2,” she said. “The fire had started the day before and we assumed the fire had been put out. We didn’t stay for very long and we decided to leave early that day, and the fire came right across the mountain behind my house. We haven’t been up there since. I think the advice [from the council] is that we stay closed until further notice, so we had to put a post up today to say we’ve got to stay closed.”
Impact on daily life and plea for rain
She said the closure had also taken away a major part of her weekly routine. “It’s very popular. It’s a charity and we all volunteer,” she said. “Emotionally it’s had an impact, my days were filled with shopping, cooking and planning to go up there. I don’t really know what day of the week it is anymore - that routine has gone.” Mills said residents were now hoping for a change in the weather. “We are just praying for rain,” she said.
Rebecca Hester, 28, also lives in Blaenllechau and said she had seen police in the area over the last two days. She described the prospect of someone deliberately restarting the fire as “absolutely disgusting”. Last week it came metres from her home. “A lot of people were worried about being evacuated and now to start it deliberately, it’s just an awful thing to do,” she said.
Hester said residents were still dealing with the effects of the original wildfire. “It’s been fine over the last few days, we are still dealing with the last of the previous one - you can just smell it in the air,” she said. She pleaded: “Just think of the other people and the lives they are affecting when they do such a thing. It’s not just human lives at risk with it, there's also animals, the environment and other factors. It’s not just that these people will get a kick out of it and think it’ll be funny. They are affecting a lot of different things, not just here but it’s going to affect the planet.”
Emergency services respond
SWFRS said crews are continuing to work to bring the latest incident to a safe end. A spokesman said: “Due to deliberate fire setting in the area, the wildfire in Llanwonno and Penrhys, Ferndale has been reignited. Thank you for your calls, we want to reassure you that our crews are in attendance and working hard to bring the incident to a safe close. South Wales Police are patrolling the area, to deter any further deliberate fires, along with our arson reduction team. We are asking residents to please be vigilant and if you see any suspicious behaviour in relation to deliberate fire setting, please inform South Wales Police by calling 101. If you spot a new active fire please call 999. We want to thank the community for your support and understanding. Only by working together can we stop these deliberate fires from starting.”
South Wales Police said extra patrols had been introduced in the Ferndale area. A spokesman for the force said: “South Wales Police are putting extra patrols in the Ferndale area to deter any further deliberate fires. We are asking residents to please be vigilant, and if you see any suspicious behaviour in relation to deliberate fire setting, please contact us by calling 101.”
