South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has released dramatic drone footage showing the scale of the ongoing wildfire in Blaenavon, as crews continue tackling the blaze after spending the night at the scene.
The fire service says the live aerial footage has become an integral part of its firefighting operation, allowing specialist drone pilots to stream a real time bird’s eye view of the incident directly to the control room and command suite. This helps incident commanders make informed decisions about strategy and tactics as the fire develops.
Despite the benefits of the technology, the service praised the dedication of firefighters working on the ground in demanding conditions.
A spokesperson for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “This drone footage of the current wildfire in Blaenavon is now an integral part of our firefighting operation. Our specialist drone pilot is able to live stream a bird’s eye view of the fire to our control room and command suite, which helps inform our strategy and tactics on the incident ground.
“While this technology helps enormously, as a fire service, we still absolutely rely on the courage and professionalism of our crews. Thank you to everyone involved in this team effort.”
Firefighters were first called to the incident at 8.42pm on Sunday, 19 July. Crews remained at the scene overnight and, as of this morning, six fire appliances, a water bowser and specialist tactical wildfire officers continue to tackle the blaze.
The wildfire now covers around 80 hectares of mixed bracken and gorse. Crews have faced particularly challenging conditions due to the difficult terrain, limited access and changing wind conditions.
A shift in the wind direction overnight has carried smoke across a large part of South Wales, with reports of it reaching as far as Caerphilly and Cardiff.
Residents affected by the smoke are being advised to keep their windows and doors closed.
The fire service said it has received a high number of calls from members of the public reporting the smoke, but reassured communities that crews are fully aware of the situation and are continuing to deal with the incident.
People are also being urged to avoid the Blaenavon area while emergency services remain at work.
