Soldiers praised for 'phenomenal job' helping crews tackle wildfires

A chief fire officer has praised soldiers for supporting crews tackling wildfires in south Wales.

Fin Monahan said South Wales Fire and Rescue Service was under severe pressure and very grateful to seven other fire services and the military for help.

About 200 members of the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, with support from 22 Royal Engineers, Royal Logistics Corp and Army helicopters have been been involved.

Crews from London, Cumbria and elsewhere have also been providing support.

Monahan told the BBC the UK and Welsh governments took "a very serious step" in bringing in the military but the "extra capacity" was needed as crews fought dozens of fires across the country.

He said his firefighters have "very specialist skills" to tackle wildfires with military assistance enabling him to "focus all of that in the right place".

Soldiers have been providing logistical support, including water distribution, to assist firefighters and specialist responders.

Monahan described the soldiers as "doing an utterly phenomenal job digging trenches and also helping us build fire breaks".

"That has liberated lots of our firefighters to go and do their more specialist skills of firefighting."

In south Wales, about 14 separate fires were being tackled by crews on Sunday.

Mid and West Wales Fire Rescue and Service said crews were dealing with blazes at Rhandirmwyn and Ammanford in Carmarthenshire and Hay-on-Wye and Brecon in Powys on Sunday.

They have also attended fires in Gorseinon, Swansea, and Tenby, Pembrokeshire, as well as an incident involving smoke in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

Fire service manager, Geraint Thomas, described tree-height flames spreading in a pine forest in the Rhandirmwyn area of Carmarthenshire.

He said the perimeter of the fire expanded to 480 hectares with areas of broadleaved woodland, mountain moorland as well as pine forest burning within it.