Machen Mountain fire “suspected to be deliberate”

A fire that engulfed Machen Mountain over the weekend is suspected to have been caused deliberately, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has said.

The fire broke out on the Crosskeys side just before 11pm on Saturday and spread across 11 hectares – the equivalent of 11 rugby fields.

It took until 11.20am on Sunday morning before the fire was extinguished, before another fire – this time on the Machen side – broke out.

The second fire spread across eight hectares and left a large cloud of smoke lingering over Machen, which was visible across the Caerphilly basin for much of Sunday.

A fire service spokesperson said: “Multiple crews and 15 appliances attended the scene and used specialist equipment to extinguish the fire, which had spread approximately eight hectares.

“The supposed cause has been deemed as suspected to be deliberate.”

The fire service stopped battling the blaze at 5.53am on Monday.

The mountain was still smouldering as of late Monday morning.

Peter Cloke, Land Management Team Leader at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), said the fire “caused extensive damage to our woodlands and has destroyed thousands of pounds of newly planted young trees”.

He added: “The firefighting helicopter contracted by NRW was deployed to support South Wales Fire and Rescue in their efforts.

“People who deliberately set grass fires are risking people’s lives as well as endangering wildlife and causing a considerable cost to the taxpayer.”

The fire service spokesperson added: “Deliberately setting grass on fire is irresponsible and unacceptable, but at a time of increased pressure, we need to work together and avoid putting further strain on Wales’ emergency services.

“We would urge anyone who has information on suspected deliberate fires, or who sees anything suspicious to contact 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If you see a fire, or anyone starting a fire, please call 999 immediately.”