North Wales Mountain Fires Spark Concern: Causes Under Investigation

Fire chiefs want everyone to be careful. Recent hill and mountain fires worry them. Five fires happened this past week. Flames and smoke were visible for miles. A big fire near Penrhyndeudraeth lasted 13 hours.

Wildfires often happen in summer. Hot, dry weather makes them worse. Forest Research says they also occur in spring. Dead plants on the ground can burn. Low rain and drying winds increase risks.

The first fire was February 13th at Llanbedrog. It damaged 100,000 sqm of plants. Six fire engines helped stop it. Officials remind folks of wildfire safety tips.

A fire showed up near Caerdeon Hall, by Barmouth.

Monday night, crews went to a fire near Plas Caerdeon. It burned 22,500 sqm of gorse. They don’t know the cause yet.

Two more fires began yesterday evening. One was on Cwm Mountain, by Llandudno. It affected 500 sqm. Llandudno crews put it out quickly. Police used drones at the scene. Its cause remains unconfirmed.

Another fire broke out near Penrhyndeudraeth around 6 p.m. About 40,000 sqm of plants burned. Firefighters fought it for 13 hours to extinguish.

Three engines responded to Penrhyndeudraeth. A wild fire unit also attended. A small access unit assisted the crews. Three officers went to help too. Controlled burning caused it, they think. Councilor Meryl Roberts thanked the crews. She said they controlled it fast.

Someone posted about another fire online. It possibly burned near Bethesda last night. The fire service has not confirmed this.

These fires worry local people online. It’s burning season right now. People can burn heather on moorlands legally. This is allowed until March 31 in Welsh uplands. It ends March 15 in other areas.

NFU Cymru said controlled burns help habitats. Small areas of burning manage grazing spots. They also aid birds and wild animals. They added burns must occur at the right time. Enough people must be there to manage the fire.

Burn small patches, with firebreaks, they urge. This helps avoid big wildfires later on. Call the fire service about burns. Tell them the date, time, and location. This quick call prevents false alarms.

The fire service urges people to follow #WildFireWise. This campaign educates people about preventing wildfires. Landowners should call before they burn anything.