No helicopters to fight wildfires as 'crisis management' plans activated

The Welsh government has activated "crisis management arrangements" due to the number of wildfires across the nation.

It comes amid criticism from residents over a lack of resources like helicopters to tackle the fires, some of which have been burning for days across north and south Wales.

The Welsh government said North Wales Fire and Rescue had received extra resources but aerial support was not available anywhere in the UK.

However, it said "urgent discussions are now underway both within Wales and at a UK level to identify how this can be resolved".

Meanwhile, firefighters are tackling a big blaze in south Wales for a fourth day, with the smoke travelling as far as Cardiff.

A 4,000-name petition calling for aerial help was prompted by one fire spreading into Coed y Brenin in Gwynedd.

Sian Williams, operations manager for Natural Resources Wales, described the wildfire situation across Wales as "exceptional".

"Unfortunately, despite us putting a request in, at the request of the fire and rescue service... for aerial support, we have not been able to secure that yet," she said.

Williams said NRW Wales had contracts with three operators for helicopter support, but they are already deployed at fires in England and Scotland.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said crews were continuing to deal with a wildfire at Capelulo near Sychnant Pass, in the wake of a large grass fire on Conwy Mountain.

There is also a multi-agency response following a blaze on Rhinogydd mountains in Gwynedd, where householders have been advised to keep windows and doors closed.

Elsewhere, firefighters are dealing with grass fires at Hope Mountain and Brymbo in Wrexham county, Pentrefelin, Holyhead, and Pentre Halkyn, overlooking the A55 in Flintshire.

Mid and West Wales Fire Service said it was also tackling a blaze about the size of 120 football pitches - 90 hectares - in the Presteigne area on Thursday morning.

It added that crews were monitoring hotspots in the fire at Hanter Hill, in Gladestry.

Ecologist Angharad Owen, who started the petition calling for aerial support to tackle blazes in remote places like Rhinogydd, said they were "proven to be highly effective in managing and extinguishing wildfires swiftly".

"These resources can access remote and rugged terrains, dropping water and fire retardant directly on the fire's critical areas, something that ground forces might struggle with in vast and challenging landscapes like Rhinogydd," she said.

"It is devastating to see our natural environment being harmed by this wildfire.

"Not only is this impacting our vital ecosystems and the wildlife that calls it home, but it is also posing serious risks to human health and safety."

Caroline Mason, from Rhiw Goch Inn campsite at Trawsfynydd, said she went to bed on Sunday night "seeing the mountain literally ablaze".

"I could hear the sounds of the fire burning. It woke me up," she said.

"I was so worried and distressed that the fire was not stopping .Instead, it was growing with momentum, and it was moving closer this way."

In south Wales, firefighters have been tackling a wildfire, covering 220 hectares, at Blaenavon in Torfaen county for the fourth day, with smoke affecting communities across a wider part of the region.

Residents said the smoke from the Blaenavon fire had caused a "fogginess" and "acrid smell" stretching for several miles between Torfaen and Pontypool.

"You just need to keep your washing to a minimum and shut all your windows and doors," said Alison Probert.

Welsh government minister Sian Gwenllian said the Blaenavon fire was "expected to continue burning for several days", with firefighters remaining at the scene to stop it from spreading further and "putting lives, wildlife and property at risk".

Paying tribute to the hard work of crews, she said extra resources had been requested and agreed to help firefighters in north Wales with extra staff and fire appliances.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had received numerous offers of help from the public but, while "deeply grateful", it asked people to avoid affected areas and to stay safe.

"Please be reassured the welfare of our crews is a top priority and they have everything they need," it said.

Meanwhile North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police have urged the public to avoid travelling to areas affected by ongoing wildfires,

It follows reports that some people attending incident locations subsequently required emergency rescue assistance, the fire service said.

"It's a really challenging time for us," said Christian Hadfield, area manager at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service fighting the Blaenavon blaze, adding that "in the UK now there is huge demand for aerial support".

"For us for this particular incident, if you could see the fire this morning, you don't see fire flame, you'll see a lot of smoke, which is basically a deep-seated fire," he told Radio Wales Breakfast.

He said that firefighters were also thinking carefully about water use, which added to the challenges.

"The fire service takes its water from hydrants - usually underground connections to the mains water supply - but for an incident of this description they need a lot of water quickly.

"We've got to be really cautious of the fact that we could drain lakes and reservoirs quite quickly," he added.

Natural Resources Wales said farmers and representatives from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park were also working under the direction of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to support the "ongoing response from a safe distance" with 1,000l water storage containers made available.