Fire-hit Central Beacons mountain rescuers to build new base

Three vehicles damaged in the fire are in the process of being replaced

A mountain rescue team which lost its base and rescue vehicles to a fire is on the look out for land to construct a purpose-built facility.

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team has been operating with borrowed equipment from Merthyr Tydfil Fire Station since the blaze in 2017.

Insurers are meeting the cost of the fire damage and the first replacement rescue vehicle has gone into service.

But the team hopes to raise an extra £250,000 for a new building.

Incident controller Huw Jones said, after discussions, the charity which is run by volunteers had decided to try to "future proof" the operation by improving its facilities rather than using the insurance payout to "get us back to where we were".

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He thanked the fire service for providing facilities for the group to use while it searches for land for a new place to call home.

"There is no deadline to get out but we don't want to out stay our welcome," he said.

A new 4x4 rescue vehicle is now being used by the volunteers with two more still to be fitted out.

Members have been using an on-loan Land Rover Discovery since the fire, which caused about £500,000 damage.

Mr Jones added that the public response had been "phenomenal" and he thanked them for contributions people have made to the team.