Over 100 army personnel continue to help firefighters, farmers and contractors in their bid to tackle over a dozen major wildfires across South Wales this week, but over the weekend an all too familiar warning had to be issued to people allegedly trying to swim in Keepers Pond.

110 soldiers have been deployed across the area following South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s (SWFRS) plea to the UK Government for military support in line with its own protocol. Locally, at a wildfire in Blaenavon, soldiers are cutting and digging firebreaks to maintain critical fire containment measures.

Their contribution so far has been described as “highly effective” in helping specially trained crews to make sure the crisis is brought to a close.

The military is also assisting with logistics, including the transportation of large quantities of firefighting water to the incident ground, which is helping sustain operations during this period of heightened demand.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Service Delivery, Matthew Jones said: “The support provided by our military colleagues during this wildfire has been exceptional. Their professionalism, commitment, and willingness to work alongside our firefighters have made a real difference in what has been a challenging and demanding incident.”

"From supporting our operational activity on the ground to helping us protect communities and manage the wider response, they have shown exactly what can be achieved when emergency services and the military work together. On behalf of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, I would like to thank everyone involved for their outstanding support.”

SWFRS are joined by crews from Bedfordshire and Cumbria, in England, to deal with the incident in Blaenavon. Specialist equipment on the scene includes water ladders, an all-terrain vehicle, water bowsers, a high volume pump and an incident command unit. A helicopter and SWFRS drone are supporting operations.

On Sunday, Torfaen County Borough Council was forced to remind the public that Keepers Pond has been closed for a emergency services to take water from the pond using specialist pumps and a helicopter. Some people had reportedly been spotted trying to swim in the area while emergency services were using it.

“The keepers pond is being used to refill the helicopter and there are some people attempting to swim. Please do not swim or use Keepers Pond today while operations are going,” a social media post read.

A no-fly zone has also been established to support the safety of helicopters and emergency responders. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has established a Temporary Restricted Area for unmanned aircraft or drones.

“Our helicopter assets are continuing to operate across the affected area, carrying out vital firefighting and reconnaissance missions. Unauthorised drone activity presents a significant risk to aviation safety,” a spokesperson for SWFRS said.

The Blaenavon wildfire is a category 3 wildfire, which is a moderately vigorous surface fire featuring an organised flame front, a moderate rate of spread, and potential involvement of individual tree crowns. These types of fires often require aerial support and heavy equipment to suppress them.