Firefighters tackle hundreds of grass fires covering '70 football fields' in Wales
All of Wales' three main firefighter services have been busy tackling around 250 grass fires in the last week, from Anglesey to the South Wales valleys.
The biggest, covering 30 to 35 hectares - the equivalent of 70 football fields - blazed through the night on Wednesday in the Morriston area of Swansea, according to ITV News.
The area is facing an epidemic of deliberately-started fires, which have been worsened by the dry weather there.
Station manager Nigel Williams from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service explained several factors had combined to make the situation worse, including the aforementioned dry and windy weather, as well as school holidays.
He told BBC Radio Wales that firefighters were working with police in an attempt to tackle the problem, saying:"We are carrying out high visibility patrols in high risk areas."
The biggest fire on Wednesday night was at Mynydd Gelliwastad near Morriston Hospital, and is believed to have destroyed between 60 and 80 acres of grassland.
It could be seen for miles and the Mid and Mid West Wales Fire Service received over 160 calls relating to it.
A spokeswoman for the fire service told This Is South Wales "There were crews there all night, monitoring where it was going and making sure properties were not affected."
Kevin Jones, arson reduction manager with North Wales fire service, highlighted the importance of parents being aware of "the whereabouts of their children and impress upon them the message that deliberate fires endanger lives".
He told the BBC: "Deliberate fires, especially large scale grass and gorse fires, can place tremendous pressure on resources with our crews tied up for a considerable length of time trying to bring them under control.
"This can then prevent them from attending other life-critical incidents."
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