Wildfire warning as warm weather continues

Smoke over Cwm Mountain, Conwy county, on Friday
Image caption,

Smoke over Cwm Mountain, Conwy county, on Friday

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More warm weather is increasing the risk of wild fires across Wales, a senior fire officer has warned.

Iwan Cray, deputy chief fire officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said it was "an ever increasing issue" linked to the weather.

He said there are about 3,000 wildfires annually in Wales, with a majority classed as deliberate.

Firefighters tackled a grass fire at Cwm Mountain, Conwy county, on Friday after a callout in the early hours.

And fire crews were called to blazes on four mountains in south Wales last weekend.

Mr Cray said while a "nice bit of weather" was welcomed by many, it was a "different argument altogether" for those involved in wildfire management.

"It's an ever increasing issue, certainly linked to the weather patterns we're seeing," he added.

This weekend's fire severity index, external, a Met Office alert for the likelihood of wildfires, showed warnings were moderate to high across Wales, Mr Cray told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.