A couple who watched with fear while a forest fire ran through a mountain to their home has said that it is worried that the threat could worsen with climate change.
Fire teams prevented the flames from arriving at the house of Alison and Ian Jones on the mountain on Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon TAF last month, but the closed call has wondered how bad it could wear.
“The fires in Los Angeles and Spain have been horrendous,” said Ian. “We are not on that scale, but who knows what is coming?”
Professor Stefan Dorr, head of the Fire Research Center at Swansea University (CWR), said the softest climate in the coming decades meant “more fires and seasons of longer fires.”
He added that a soft winter that allows further foliage growth followed by spring droughts has made this year particularly bad for forest fires, he added.
Firefighters have had to contain forest fires of the properties in all ways this week, with a councilor for cerinderion Describing firefighters “of knees”.
Jones said they were “worried every year” because mountain fires went down to Treorchy, but a fire on March 21 “approached the house a bit.”
His greatest fear, he said, was for the safety of firefighters.
“They put their lives on the line every time they go up there,” said Jones, who decided to fall into a tree. Close your roof After fire.
“I don’t know where the solution is, but we have bone here 20-Ove and we have fires [in the area] Every year. ”
His wife Alison, who was alone at home when the flames approached, said she trusts the system.
“Most firm know the area very well and know how to drive it.”
Forest fires also make the equipment less able to respond to a property fire or a road accident.
But the workload and the danger for fire equipment seems to be getting worse.
Without important forest fires in Wales last year, Professor Doer said that the fields and mountains have had “a lot of vegetation growth.”
Together with the spring drought “he does things quite bad” this year, Hey added.
Alison JonesUnder current climate change models for Wales, the softest winters will mean more foliage to burn, followed by Spring Woresingen droughts.
“It is likely that both become more extremes and this will make it more likely to have more fires and longer fire seasons,” he said.
Professor Doer said a Fire risk websiteDeveloped with the Fire Service and Rescue of South Wales, it allows people to verify the conditions in their area.
But people are more concerned with the impact of fires on wildlife than they themselves, according to a CWR survey.
Garan Thomas Photography“People tend to be complacent because they think that the Fire Service has things under control,” said Rhigos photographer Garan Thomas.
The 27 -year -old said that he feared that great fire could extend to the properties because Treorchy is surrounded by fields.
“My house supports a rugby field and a farm is close, so who can say that the fires would not get into the rear garden?”
Smoke from a Rhigos Mountain Fire He hung on the city for more than a week in 2023.
“You wonder if there is enough [firefighting] The team for this and if the southern firefighters service is large enough to face, “he said.
Fire and rescue of Wales Mid and the WestThis fire season is different, added Thomas, with fires that begin in places not seen before.
“Everyone expects a field or a mountain fire, but their frequency this year and the different locations are a bit worrying.”
Farmers have been setting controlled fires at the end of winter and spring for generations, said Sian Jones, 64, from Crymych in Pembrokeshire.
“When the mountains are in ajesada in the tojo, you have California with people who go for a picnic and a chucking glass and then you have a problem,” he said.
She said controlling the tojo is crucial to avoid forest fires.
“Nothing for me is more beautiful than seeing controlled fires,” he added.
But one of those fires this year in the preseli hills, near the town of Bryberian, got out of control with strong winds.
Fire and rescue of Wales Mid and the WestIn the valleys of southern Wales, most hills on cities such as Treorchy are administered by Welsh natural resources (NRW), not farmers.
NRW said that the majority of the land that managed in the area were forest plantations.
“Most of these fires begin in open terrain and can quickly spread to forests, where fuel loads increase the intensity and impact of the fire,” said a spokesman.
“In the valleys of southern Wales, we have developed forest fire management plans for our high -risk areas and take practical measures, such as placing fuel breaks where vegetation is eliminated to reduce the speed or spread of forest fires.
CYMRU antennaNRW said that climate change was a “key factor” in the growing risk of forest fires.
“We are adapting our fire risk management for this, but association and public support are essential,” he said.
Fire services, local authorities, public services boards and community groups work to “evaluate and reduce the risk of forest fires through prevention, response and education,” NRW added.
