Army helps response as wildfire forces residents to evacuate

Up to 20 homes have been evacuated and roads are closed after a wildfire broke out in Carmarthenshire.

A major incident has been declared near Llandovery as crews tackle flames for a third day across about 250 hectares of land.

A guest house has cancelled its weekend bookings and given rooms to firefighters instead, while residents at a flare-up in south Wales said they were "frightened".

Meanwhile, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has requested military support to strengthen wildfire response.

Stephen Kinnock, Secretary of State for Wales, said military personnel had been deployed to provide logistical support and help "ease the pressure on the ground".

A BBC reporter at the scene of a flare-up in Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on Friday said residents were "extremely frightened" with one saying the flames came within 30 metres of his house.

Lynn Martin, whose family runs the Llanerchindda Farm Guest House in Llandovery, said fire crews stayed there last night.

"We cooked breakfast for them and then off they went at six this morning," she said.

"We were worried the fire was going to get us. You couldn't see an inch outside the house."

Martin said she was "very concerned" as there are a lot of fields around the guest house.

She said they had lost "several thousand pounds" due to cancelling bookings for this weekend.

"Luckily it meant we could house the fire crews instead. We were going to give the rooms for free but they've offered to pay," she said.

Nerys Jones, community councillor for Rhandirmwyn, described the situation as "scary", saying the fire made its way towards the village.

"Thankfully everyone had somewhere to go, the community have been fantastic," she said, adding it must have been "awful for those asked to leave their homes behind".

Jonathan Stanley, manager of The Kings Head Inn in Llandovery, said people had described hearing the fire from "miles away".

Road closures remain in the Rhandirmwyn area, while councillor Handel Davies said about 17 to 20 houses had been evacuated from two streets in the village as a precaution.

Elidyr Communities Trust, which houses young adults with complex additional learning needs and disabilities, has also been evacuated.

It said all residents and learners in its care were "safe and well" and those who were able to make the journey had been taken away on a holiday this weekend.

"Thank you everyone who has stepped up to help in this extremely difficult and unprecedented situation," it added.

Residents, learners and staff stayed in Llangadoh Community Centre on Thursday.

Carmarthenshire council has set up a rest centre at Llandovery Leisure Centre and said it would remain available throughout the day.

But with the hot weather expected to continue, firefighters are bracing themselves for a busy weekend.

The community around Llandovery has also been offering to help and support to those in need, including a fish and chip shop that has been feeding the firefighters and farmers battling the wildfire, with stables offered to house any horses caught up in the blaze.

Elsewhere, fire services said crews were attending 30 incidents in south Wales on Thursday, with a "significant number of resources" at the scene at Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

South Wales Fires and Rescue said challenging terrain, high temperatures and changing wind conditions continued to make operations difficult.

Crews remain at incidents in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, Van Road in Garth, Blaenavon, Porth, Merthyr Tydfil, Penrhys and at Bike Park Wales near Merthyr, it said.

There was also a fire in Ferndale, with a BBC reporter on the scene saying residents were "frightened".

Mark Carmody said the flames came within 30 metres of his house, with firefighters "dousing the back of the building and "damping down the bracken behind the house".

The UK government has also deployed military personnel to help with the response following a request from South Wales Fire and Rescue.

"The Ministry of Defence has authorised this request and is now providing military personnel, who will provide logistical support to help ease the pressure on the ground, support evacuations where needed, and to strengthen the wider emergency response," Kinnock said.