WALES - A couple who watched in fear as a wildfire raced down a mountainside towards their home have said they worry the threat could get worse with climate change.
Fire crews prevented the flames from reaching Alison and Ian Jones' house backing onto the mountain above Treorchy in Rhondda Cynon Taf last month, but the close call has left them wondering how bad it could get.
"The fires in Los Angeles and Spain have been horrendous," Ian said. "We're not on that scale, but who knows what's coming?" Prof Stefan Doerr, head of Swansea University's Centre for Wildfire Research (CWR), said milder weather in the coming decades means "more fires and longer fire seasons". A mild winter allowing for more foliage growth followed by spring droughts has made this year particularly bad for wildfires, he added. Firefighters have had to hold back raging wildfires from properties across Wales this week, with one Ceredigion councillor describing firefighters as being "on their knees".
Mr Jones said they were "concerned every year" because of mountain fires coming down to the edge of Treorchy, but a blaze on 21 March "got a little bit close to the house". His biggest fear, he said, was for the safety of the firefighters. (BBC)
