Torfaen council earmarks £50k for wildfire land repairs

Torfaen Borough Council will allocate £50,000 to a local commoners’ association to repair land scarred by a July wildfire that engulfed an area the size of 300 football pitches above Blaenavon. The fire, which burned for more than a month, left watercourses on Mynydd Garnclochdy devastated and forced evacuations across the Abersychan‑Blaenavon corridor.

At the council’s September meeting, Labour leader Cllr Anthony Hunt confirmed the funding will be earmarked for reinstating those watercourses, with works slated to begin in October. Independent councillor Janet Jones asked that the money be ring‑fenced specifically for Garnclochdy, a request the council accepted.

Local farmers, council staff and residents were praised for their response, alongside the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and army units that assisted in tackling the blaze. Deputy leader Cllr Richard Clark visited the scene on Monday 14 September with fire crews, army representatives and UK Government Wales Office minister Anna McMorrin.

“It was devastating and was actually like being on a film set of an apocalyptic disaster.”
Clark noted that farmers are still uncovering sheep that died after inhaling smoke as the fire raged. He added that South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has not received specific training for wildfires, prompting a new dialogue with colleagues in Victoria, Australia, to develop expertise.

The council has also examined research from a European Union monitoring project that flagged Torfaen as having one of the world’s highest carbon emissions per square kilometre due to the July fires. That data will feed into the council’s response to the Welsh Government’s review of wildfire policy, with a focus on air‑quality advice for vulnerable groups.

Council officials said they will raise the concerns of local farmers in that review, arguing that the loss of grazing land and livestock has a lasting economic impact. A separate initiative to create community hubs for coordinating volunteers during emergencies such as fires and flooding is now in its infancy.

“We had people who wanted to step forward and fight fires which wouldn’t be safe without support, training and expertise.”
Cllr Fiona Cross, the cabinet member overseeing the scheme, said the hubs must first define safe roles for volunteers before they can be deployed. The £50,000 grant will be administered by the commoners’ association, which manages the shared upland rights on Mynydd Garnclochdy and will oversee the restoration of the damaged watercourses.

The association’s chief steward, who asked to remain anonymous, said the funding will enable the planting of native vegetation and the repair of drainage channels that were choked by ash. He warned that without swift action, erosion could further destabilise the hillside and threaten downstream communities.

The council’s decision comes as climate‑related wildfires become more frequent across the UK, prompting calls for better preparedness and cross‑border learning. Officials hope the partnership between local bodies, the fire service and international experts will set a template for future wildfire response in Wales.