Over the last couple of weeks, an influx of wildfires has been burning across Wales and beyond. The problem was so pronounced that on Friday, August 14, an alert went out to millions of mobile phones warning residents located near wildfires not to undertake any activity that could start a fire.
With the support of Army personnel, fire crews have been battling blazes throughout Wales, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Community Fears and Firefighting Efforts
In Treherbert, members of the community were fearing for their lives on Saturday, August 15, as another fire began raging near their homes. Pictures from the scene show the mountainside behind Ynyswen and Treherbert in the Rhondda ablaze.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) said in an update at the time that on Saturday alone their "crews have responded to 14 concurrent wildfire incidents with firefighters working with extreme professionalism and bravery to protect communities, homes, businesses, wildlife, and the environment."
Local Businesses Step Up
In Treherbert, many local businesses decided to donate food and refreshments to those fighting fires to show their appreciation for keeping them safe. This includes local fish and chip shop Penaluna's, based in Hirwaun, who rushed to hand out free food at 3am on Sunday, August 16.
Owner Lee Penaluna said that he was lying in bed browsing TikTok when he saw the fire was blazing. Someone was live-streaming the fire and said people in the community were donating drinks but nobody had brought along food. That's when the business owner decided to get the van ready to serve free chips to the firefighters. He was joined by members of the team Jonah Cope and Tyler Jones who volunteered to feed the fire service.
Lee said: "Everyone's getting affected by it because it's been so horrific and the sense of community spirit came over me. I saw everyone gathering and supporting the firefighters and bringing them drinks and I thought: 'This is brilliant' but then you've got the horrific side of it where these poor fire firefighters have been working non-stop to fight these fires.
"I pulled up on the street, walked up to the firefighters, and I said: 'Guys, you want some food?' They're like: 'Oh my God, yes.'"
Seeing the sort of boost that it gave them, they knew they felt appreciated. It also has a knock-on effect and everybody gets involved in it and all of a sudden people think: 'Yeah, we could do something', you know?
"I've literally just handed a couple of sausages and chips to the crew. I didn't do it for any sort of praise or anything like that. It was a case of: 'Let's go and do it because we care' and I think if we can do one nice thing for somebody then that's what matters isn't it?
"I was prepared to feed 100 or 150 and I'm absolutely gutted we couldn't get around more sites because that was the plan. As soon as I wanted to get this one set up, get it going, get all the crew fed, and then go to another one."
Lee also spoke about how the wildfires have taken their toll on the community. He said: "It's had a massive impact. There's been a lot of worry, especially when it's affected so much wildlife and come so close to communities.
"I just thought the way everyone rallied together was fantastic."
Councillor Highlights Community Spirit
Labour councillor for Treherbert Scott Emanuel and his colleague Will Jones have been highlighting the local businesses who have kindly donated food to SWFRS and the Army personnel who have been supporting them to tackle fires in the community.
Scott said: "It has been a frightening few days for people in Treherbert. I saw people genuinely scared, particularly with the fire being so close to homes and seeing the scale of the emergency response coming into the community. But alongside that fear I also saw the absolute best of people. The way the community pulled together was incredible.
"There are honestly too many local people and businesses to thank individually. People provided food and refreshments, businesses donated what they could, families helped out, and volunteers gave their time. The firefighters told us themselves that they'd never experienced a welcome and hospitality like it. I think that says everything about Treherbert."
The councillor continued: "They deserved the recognition. Nobody was doing it for praise or publicity. People saw firefighters working incredibly hard to protect their community and simply wanted to help. Ricky's Ice Cream was out giving ice creams to the firefighters and Gurkhas, Pauls of Treherbert provided a fantastic buffet, and they were just two examples among many. There were so many businesses, organisations, families and individuals doing their bit that it would be impossible to name everybody.
"I'm incredibly proud to represent Treherbert anyway but moments like this remind you what sort of community we have. When something serious happens people don't wait to be asked – they muck in and look after each other. We saw people scared over the last few days but we also saw Treherbert at its very best. I think everyone who came here to help us saw that too."
Fire Service Expresses Gratitude
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have shared their gratitude for the kindness of the local community. They posted on Facebook on Wednesday, August 19, to say: "Over the past few weeks we have been overwhelmed by the kindness, generosity and support shown by our communities across south Wales.
"From food, refreshments, and offers to volunteer your support has meant a great deal to our firefighters, control operators, support staff, partners and everyone involved in our wildfire response."
The fire service is urging members of the public to dial 999 solely for new emergencies, to refrain from using disposable barbecues, fire pits, fireworks or garden incinerators, and to keep doors and windows shut in areas where smoke is present.
