Fire crews have dashed to a huge grass fire with flames visible miles away.
Firefighters were called to the blaze on a hilltop, Mynydd Gelliwastad, on the outskirts of Swansea, south Wales, at around 9.15pm. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said two fire engines and a 4x4 fire service vehicle were sent. The service is still in attendance at time of writing. A spokesperson added on X: "We are currently in attendance at a large fire at the top of Mynydd Gelliwastad, thank you very much for your calls."
Photographs shared on social media show thick black smoke billow from the hill. One image, taken around 15 minutes after the fire service was alerted to the blaze, shows fierce orange flames roar from the fire. Others posting on social media said there was a "huge fire" on the narrow hill. It appeared to have died down significantly by around 10pm, Wales Online reports. The cause of the blaze remains unclear, though there is no suggestion at this stage it was done deliberately.
Mynydd Gelliwastad is popular with ramblers and, at the peak of 213 metres, stunning views can be seen across the south Wales valleys and down to Swansea. Grass fires are - whether deliberate or not - common across the south Wales valleys. Across just one weekend in 2021, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews attended nearly 80 deliberate grass fires.
The majority of these fires have required the attendance of multiple appliances, use of critical equipment and the movement of resources. This usually includes multiple fire engines, specialist wildfire vehicles and a helicopter at the scene working in partnership with police colleagues, Natural Resources Wales and the local authority.
One incident, suspected as deliberate, burned a short distance from Abercarn Station, putting essential fire and rescue service personnel and facilities at risk, with another incident burning over 11 hectares putting livestock and property in jeopardy.