Llantysilio fire and its impact on communities under the spotlight this week

A special meeting looking at the circumstances around last summer’s mountainside fires at Llantysilio Mountain, will take place this week.

Organised by Denbighshire County Council the session, which will take place at Llangollen Pavilion on Wednesday 20th March, will hear evidence from organisations including North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, North Wales Police, the local authority, Natural Resources Wales, as well as representatives of the local community.

As well as the operational response to the fire, the Scrutiny Committee will also hear about how the moorland is currently managed.

The fire, which raged between July and August 2018, saw 12 fire engines tackle the blaze at its peak – with smoke seen from 25 miles away.

Councillor Huw Williams, chairman of the communities scrutiny committee, said: “This is a special meeting with the aim of understanding all the circumstances and issues around the fire and the response of the various agencies.

“We feel that the fire was significant in terms of size and the length of time it was active, as well as the impact on the local community, and warranted a special scrutiny meeting to debate these issues.

“Due to the nature of the terrain and the special site of scientific interest designation, there were a number of agencies involved in the response to the fires.

“Organisations will have considered their own responses but this is about bringing people together for a wider debate.

“Discussions will provide a clear picture of how each organisation responded, what worked well and what did not work as well.

“It will also help us learn any lessons and whether we need to amend existing response protocols.

“We recognise that the fire had an impact on local residents and motorists using the Horseshoe Pass and we will be discussing the concerns and issues raised by local people at the meeting”.

A report will be drawn up after the meeting and will be presented at a later date.

Picture: Drone footage released by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service last year