Torfaen ranked global wildfire emission hotspot in July — SkimNews
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- Torfaen ranked among the world's top four locations for wildfire carbon emissions per square kilometre in July, trailing only Malanje (Angola), Ávila (Spain) and Annaba (Algeria), per Save the Children citing Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service data.
- The Mynydd Garnclochdy blaze between Abersychan and Blaenavon covered about 300 football pitches and was described by South Wales Fire and Rescue as "one of the largest and most challenging" fires in south Wales in recent years.
- The fire eventually required military assistance, contributed to a major incident being declared, and produced smoke detected as far away as Cardiff — roughly 30 miles (48km) from the site.
- Councillor Janet Jones said smoke was "particularly bad" on 13 August — about three weeks after ignition — raising concerns about elderly residents and those with respiratory conditions including emphysema and COPD.
- Torfaen council said it was unaware of the EU research but confirmed its Croesyceiliog Cwmbran monitoring station recorded "elevated particulate concentrations" during the wildfire period.
- Save the Children Wales head Melanie Simmonds warned that children breathing wildfire smoke face "serious health consequences" because their lungs and bodies are still developing.
Why it matters: Torfaen's fourth-place global ranking behind Angola, Spain, and Algeria placed a small Welsh county alongside countries routinely ravaged by wildfire, forcing the local council to publicly acknowledge elevated particulate levels and underlining how dramatically domestic UK moor fires are escalating in scale and duration.
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