A large forest in the heart of Eryri National Park was closed to the public when a fire broke out. Visitors were urged to stay away from Beddgelert Forest while emergency services responded to the incident.
The 1,730-acre mainly conifer forest is a popular destination for walkers and mountain bikers. Located just off the A4085, a mile north of Beddgelert village, the forest borders the mountain lake of Llyn Llewelyn. Winding through its trees is a section of the Welsh Highland Railway.
Fire was initially reported at 2.45pm on Sunday, July 19. Site manager Natural Resources Wales (NRW) worked alongside crews from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) to manage the incident.
NRW closed the forest car park and said the site would be out of bounds “until further notice”. In April last year, 350,000 square metres of land was damaged by another fire believed to have been sparked by cinders igniting bushes next to the railway line.
On that occasion, fire teams remained on site for almost seven hours. Yesterday’s incident was brought under control in half the time.
A NWFRS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 2.45pm. Two appliances attended. The incident involved 1000sqm of gorse, grass and trees. It was brought under control by 5.48pm last night.”
Jasmine Sharp, NRW’s duty tactical manager for North Wales, said the incident was another reminder of the perils of open fires in the tinder-dry countryside. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
She said: “The fire at Beddgelert Forest has since been extinguished and the site has reopened to the public. We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response, and everyone affected for their patience and cooperation while the incident was dealt with.
“As the current heatwave continues, we are asking visitors to take extra care and help protect our countryside. Please never light fires in the countryside, choose a picnic instead of a BBQ, and always leave no trace of your visit.
“It only takes one stray spark or a discarded glass bottle to start a devastating fire, putting people at risk and destroying precious habitats and wildlife.”
New and ongoing wildfires
Firefighters were today in attendance at two new wildfires in Flintshire – at Hope Mountain near Caergwrle, and Brynford near Holywell.
North Wales fire crews also continue to have a presence at three other sites, including Pentrefelin near Holyhead, Anglesey, and Capelulo near the Sychnant Pass, Conwy.
Notably, they are still grappling with a major wildfire in the Rhinogydd mountains near Llyn Cwm Bychan, inland from Harlech, Gwynedd.
NWFRS said: “We continue to use a range of firefighting tactics at each incident. Members of the public are asked to avoid affected areas, allowing emergency crews to work safely and ensuring access for operational vehicles.”
Due to hard-to-reach terrain on the Rhinogydd mountains, the fire service requested helicopter support last week. This request was approved by NRW but appropriate helicopters are still not available due to demand from wildfire incidents elsewhere across the UK.”
Following local reports that a helicopter has been hired privately, the fire service said any wildfire operator used by NRW “must meet specific operational, safety and assurance requirements”.
Jami Jennings of NWFRS, who is Chair of the Tactical Coordination Group, said: “We would like to reassure the local community that the situation at these locations continues to be closely managed.
“There is currently no indication that residents will need to leave their homes. Firefighters remain in close contact with those affected and are working with partner agencies to ensure appropriate support is available if required.
“I’d like to re-iterate my thanks to our firefighters control staff and volunteer groups, as well as local residents and businesses for their support and patience.
“We continue to meet regularly with partner organisations to help keep our communities safe.”
Meanwhile, NWFRS is asking landowners not to carry out controlled burns. It follows reports that this is still taking place across the region despite the dangerous conditions.
A spokesperson said: “Given the current dry conditions and heightened wildfire risk, we are urging landowners and members of the public to refrain from carrying out any controlled burns at this time.
“Fires can spread rapidly and place people, property, wildlife and emergency responders at significant risk.”
