FIREFIGHTERS have been working around the clock to tackle a wave of wildfires across South Wales, with the effects of the blazes being felt across the border in the Forest of Dean.

Crews have faced days of intense heat, difficult terrain and changing winds as exceptionally dry conditions have left grassland and moorland vulnerable to fire.

On Thursday, August 13 alone, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service responded to more than 30 wildfires, with major incidents drawing significant resources and support from neighbouring services.

Firefighters have also been battling a major blaze at Rhandirmwyn, near Llandovery, which had spread across around 250 hectares by Thursday, while residents were evacuated from homes near fires in Porth.

The extraordinary efforts come after smoke from a wildfire near Llangynidr Reservoir travelled more than 30 miles to the Forest of Dean on Sunday, August 9.

Residents in Berry Hill and Coleford were among those reporting smoke and haze, prompting Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service to carry out checks before confirming no fire had been found locally.

The smell of smoke returned across parts of Gloucestershire on Friday, August 14, as fires continued to burn across South Wales.

The danger has not been confined to Wales. On Wednesday, August 12, crews were called to a wildfire near Ross-on-Wye, where a large plume of smoke could be seen rising into the sky.

Behind the dramatic photographs of flames and smoke are firefighters spending long hours on the ground in punishing conditions.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Chief Fire Officer Adam Openshaw said crews had been working “tirelessly” during a prolonged period of intense wildfire activity, with resources under significant pressure.

As the smoke drifting across the Forest has demonstrated, the scale of the fires stretches far beyond the hillsides where crews are fighting them.

A helicopter joins the firefighting operation as emergency crews tackle a wildfire across open ground in South Wales.
AIRBORNE: A helicopter joins the firefighting operation as emergency crews tackle a wildfire across open ground in South Wales. (James Cunningham Photography)
Huge clouds of smoke rise from a wildfire in South Wales, with the smell of smoke reported across the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire during the past week.
SMOKE: Huge clouds of smoke rise from a wildfire in South Wales, with the smell of smoke reported across the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire during the past week. (James Cunningham Photography)
Fire crews battle flames during one of a series of wildfires which have swept across South Wales during a week of exceptionally dry conditions.
FIGHT: Firefighters work at close quarters to bring a wildfire under control as crews faced challenging conditions across South Wales. (James Cunningham Photography)