What a month May was. It was a busy time for us in any case, with recruitment for two roles, cattle returning to Bwlch Corog after wintering on lower ground, completion of the new education shelter, an intense schedule of youth programme visits after Education Officer Clarissa’s recovery from a torn calf meant April’s sessions had to be postponed, our annual open day and our Community Spring Celebration, along with our usual work on and off site, volunteer days and project development… Plenty to be getting on with.
What wasn’t part of the plan for May was a very large forest fire on land immediately adjacent to Bwlch Corog.
At 10am on Thursday the 15th of May, a member of Coetir Anian staff spotted a small plume of smoke rising from the neighbouring forestry land. While it was only small at that time, it was concerning as it seemed very unlikely that there would be any kind of intentional burning in a commercial forestry under active management – particularly during an exceptionally dry period. The forestry managers and the fire brigade were immediately alerted, and it quickly became apparent that this was a wildfire. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service arrived within minutes of the 999 call being made, and could be seen working with forestry contractors to contain the fire. During the course of the day, the fire spread through a section of forestry that had recently been clear-felled – presumably fueled by dry brash from the felled trees – and into areas of standing conifers. Initially hopeful that forestry tracks would function as fire breaks and keep the flames within one area of the forestry, the firefighters had to withdraw as strengthening winds spread the fire across the tracks.
Firefighters continued to arrive throughout the day, and by the evening, crews were in attendance from Machynlleth, Aberystwyth, Llanidloes, Newtown, Tregaron, Llanwrtyd Wells, Carmarthen, Llanfyllin, Llanfair Caereinion, Rhayader, Llandrindod Wells and Llanidloes, as well as crews from over the border in Shropshire. A control centre was set up in Glaspwll, hosting the incident control, refill point for fire engines’ water tanks, and even a catering operation, keeping the crews fuelled through the night with burgers and coffee. All this in a tiny hamlet of a few houses, lit by floodlights as night drew in, the air heavy with the smell of smoke and ash falling like snow at times, made for a strange scene.
We, and our neighbour and grazier Joe, kept a close eye on the situation from Bwlch Corog and Cefn Coch. We would be powerless to do anything if the fire reached the tinder-dry purple moor grass which dominates large areas of Bwlch Corog’s upland, and so as the fire approached the forestry boundary late in the day, the decision was made to move the cattle off Bwlch Corog and down into the safety of the willow woodland at Cefn Coch. Joe and Coetir Anian staff, with the kind help of a friend, had the herd moved by 10pm, an eerie, smoke-filled orange sky providing a surreal backdrop to the operation. Our staff finally left site at 11pm, with at least 50 firefighters now on the scene, unsure of what we would find the next morning on our return.
Thankfully, the flames didn’t reach Bwlch Corog. They came very close, but a drop in windspeed and the arrival of a helicopter and bucket early on the morning of Friday the 16th meant that the fire could finally be contained and brought under control, although it was another two days before it was fully extinguished. As the fire had been burning on peat soil, there was always a possibility that it could burn under the surface of the dry peat and that more fires could later appear on the surface. This happened at least twice in the following days, and each time firefighters and helicopter returned and successfully prevented a spread like that seen on the first day.
These were a nervous few days for us and for neighbouring landowners and residents, and we’re extremely grateful for the efforts of the fire service, who worked on difficult terrain, often belayed on ropes, in intense conditions to bring the fire under control. We owe thanks to the staff at RSPB Ynys-hir for their help with moving and temporarily accommodating the ponies, and to the family at Ynys-hir farm for their assistance with this also. Co-operation and communication between the fire service, Natural Resources Wales, the forestry management company and our neighbours is to be commended.
The fire occurred during one of the hottest and driest springs on record. There has been finally been significant rainfall this past week, and so we’re able to breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that the exceptional conditions that allowed the fire to spread so quickly are now over. We are evaluating our response to the events, and will look to apply lessons learned in planning to prevent and mitigate any future wildfires.
You can view footage of the fire by following the link below.
