THE GOOD weather has brought with it a spate of deliberately set grass fires across Gwent this weekend.

Grass fires were reported in Cwmbran, Blaina, New Tredegar, Blackwood, Pontypool and Ebbw Vale.

Crews from Cefn Forest attended two deliberate wild fires in Blackwood in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A hectare of grass and bracken was destroyed by a deliberate wildfire on a mountain in Markham Blackwood at 01:32.

A little later, two hectares of grass and bracken were well alight on arrival at Argoed,  Blackwood at 02:44am.

On Saturday afternoon, fire crews attended Sirhowy Court in Thornhill, Cwmbran at 4.41pm to a deliberately ignited grass fire.

Another deliberate grass fire was started on Rudry Common at 21:09 on Saturday which Caerphilly crew attended using beaters.

On Saturday alone, South Wales Fire and Rescue crews responded to a total of 32 grass fires and 40 deliberate fires.

Jennie Griffiths of SWFS said the recent spate wasn’t unusual. She said: “We plan, prepare and train for it as it’s an annual problem particularly March, April and Easter holidays.”

South Wales Fire and Rescue remind members of the public to report any controlled burnings on 01443 232380.