Police have said a devastating grass in the Cwmcarn and Twmbarlwm area was started deliberately.
The fire, that has so far destroyed over 100 hectares, started on Saturday, July 14, and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) continue to tackle the blaze.
A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said on Thursday, July 19: “Officers attended the scene alongside colleagues from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
“The fire has been deemed deliberate and at this time enquiries are ongoing.”
On Wednesday, July 18, a spokesman for SWFRS said: “Working with our partners we have a well-developed plan in place to deal with the situation. We are working closely with Natural Resources Wales to create fire breaks and to prevent spreading into further forestry areas as well as utilising a helicopter crew to provide aerial support.”
SWFRS have also thanked members of the public for their support but warned people against getting too close to the affected area.
“We would like to thank the public for their many offers of refreshments. Due to the risk associated with fire and smoke we would ask member of the public to please refrain from attending any ongoing incidents to avoid harm or injury.
“Over the past few weeks we have been dealing with a large number of incidents relating to the current weather conditions and our operational firefighters and Joint Control Room staff are working extremely hard during this challenging time. We would like to thank them all for their continued efforts to keep our communities safe.
“Grass fires impact our communities across Wales and draw fundamental and valuable resources away from our communities, placing unnecessary risks on lives.
All bike trails and walking trails in Cwmcarn Forest Drive remain closed, however the visitor centre and the area around the lake on the valley floor are unaffected and remain open as usual.
SWFRS also attended a fire in Fochriw on Friday, July 12 through to Saturday, July 13. Crews were assisted by helicopter support at both incidents.
If caugjt the morons who deliberately start these fires must be
jailed for the maximum term.
They destroy property;kill wildlife and more importantly, put lives and homes in jeopardy.
Also while firefighters are dealing with these grassfires they are not available for other emergency calls such as house fires and Road Traffic Collisions.
There is also the financial burden to bear – which comes out of the public purse via council tax.