Llanwonno wildfire that grew to size of over 500 football pitches deliberately reignited

The wildfire at Llanwonno was declared a major incident before being stood down after six days but has now been reignited

Taite Johnson Audience and Trending Writer

20:33, 10 Aug 2026Updated 07:28, 11 Aug 2026

[A specialist helicopter water bombs the wildfire at Llanwonno, Ferndale]

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Firefighters worked for days to stop the spread of the large wildfire(Image: South Wales Fire and Rescue Service)

A wildfire that grew to the size of over 500 football pitches and was declared a major incident has been reignited after "deliberate fire setting in the area". South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have returned to Llanwonno, Ferndale after the mountain fire raged for days from Saturday, August 1 until the incident was stood down on Friday, August 7.

Firefighters from crews across south Wales worked tirelessly last week as the fire ripped through the mountain and ensured that it did not spread to the homes below.

The incident was declared a major incident on Monday August 3 and it remained active throughout the week due to the scale of the wildfire that spanned over an equivalent of over 500 football pitches.

On Monday, August 10 the fire service warned that the wildfire has been reignited.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "Due to deliberate fire setting in the area, the wildfire in Llanwonno and Penrhys, Ferndale has been reignited. Thank you for your calls, we want to reassure you that our crews are in attendance and working hard to bring the incident to a safe close.

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"South Wales Police are patrolling the area, to deter any further deliberate fires, along with our Arson Reduction Team. We are asking residents to please be vigilant, and if you see any suspicious behaviour in relation to deliberate fire setting, please inform South Wales Police by calling 101.

"If you spot a new active fire, please call 999. We want to thank the community for your support and understanding, only by working together can we stop these deliberate fires from starting."

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