MAYHILL: Two hectares burn behind Seaview school in what the fire service says was a string of deliberate fires

Firefighters spent Sunday night on the hillside above Mayhill, tackling a wildfire that burned through around two hectares of ground.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called at 7.15pm, sending crews from Swansea Central and Morriston stations.

The fire burned in more than one place at once, with separate fronts alight on the slope behind Seaview school and a wide stretch of ground already blackened between them.

Crews used hose reel jets, beaters and knapsack sprayers to get around the fire and put it out, working on ground too steep and broken for anything heavier.

They were back on the hill on Monday morning to reinspect the burnt ground, checking for anything still smouldering that could reignite.

The service says the blaze came as a result of a series of deliberately set fires in the area.

It has not said how many fires were set, or over what period, and no arrests have been reported.

Residents were still watching flames on the hillside in the early hours. One posted in a community group at around 3am warning neighbours of a large fire at the bottom of the hill behind Seaview school, with fire engines in attendance.

The service warns that deliberate fire-setting is a serious criminal offence that puts lives at risk and damages property and the environment.

It also points out the knock-on effect: crews tied up on a hillside are crews not available elsewhere, and response times to genuine emergencies can suffer.

The fire lands in a summer when crews across the region have barely stopped. Wales has been in drought, and firefighters have worked wildfires at Pendine, Talley and Rhandirmwyn in recent weeks, some burning for days.

A UK Government emergency alert went to phones across Wales on 14 August warning of wildfire risk, and disposable barbecues were banned from sale across Britain the same week.

Grass fires are a recurring problem on Swansea’s hills. Kilvey Hill, on the other side of the city, had a 12-hectare fire in April last year and another in July with two separate seats of fire.

The service runs a #WildfireWise campaign asking people to report suspicious activity and avoid outdoor burning in dry conditions. Its figures show crews attended 977 grass fire incidents across the service area in 2024, with deliberate fires down 44 per cent on the year before.

Anyone with information about deliberate fire-setting can contact South Wales Police, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.