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“Fire, floods, and pestilence” in Wales

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

A fire on the west coast of Wales in the UK caused some concern for residents near Aberystwyth on Friday. It looks fairly impressive In the above video as strong winds pushed it across a bog, but fire officials said it only burned about one hectare (2.5 acres).

A resident  said:

Well I think we’ve had about everything now. We’ve had the fire, the floods, and the pestilence.

Thanks and a hat tip go out to Shaun.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

3 thoughts on ““Fire, floods, and pestilence” in Wales”

  2. i understand the fear or concern they had over this burn ( did ya catch the comment it was a control burn?),those flame lengths and ,the fire line,would have rated a,”at scene,small fire in a field,can handle with unit at scene,cancel incoming” if it were in northern california.

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    1. Dave, I too, at first thought the reporter was saying the fire was caused by “control burning”, but I’m not sure that is what she meant. Maybe, I’m not sure.

      Here are some more details from a BBC article; however, it will probably just add to the confusion:

      …Bangor University wetland science and conservation expert Dr Christian Dunn said the scale of the fire had been “very surprising” given the weather.

      “It may be that the area of peatland has drainage channels cut into it and the strong winds have helped dry off the top layer,” he said.

      “There’s no way of knowing at the moment though how it started. It could have even been from a lightning strike during the storms or perhaps the elusive will-o’-the-wisp.

      “This, I’m afraid to say, is not caused by goblins or fairies but by the spontaneous combustion of certain gases from the peat bog; a fact which always seems to disappoint the students on Bangor University’s wetland science course.”

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