Authorities have asked the public to ‘call ahead’ of controlled burns after a fire was spotted near Aberdyfi.

Members of the public were alarmed to spot a fire east of Aberdyfi at 1pm on 6 March.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were not required to attend as the fire was a controlled burn rather than a wildfire.

A spokesperson from North Wales Fire said: “The fire was a controlled burn that our control room was notified about.

“We regularly put messaging out to encourage people to let us know when undertaking a controlled burn.

“We recognise that burning responsibly is an effective land management tool and assists in reducing wildfires long-term.

“We encourage landowners to work with their local Fire and Rescue Service to burn responsibly.

“Always inform us before and after a burn is complete on 01931 522006.”

Controlled burns are legal without a license between 1 October and 31 March in upland areas and between 1 November and 15 March elsewhere.

Burns of heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse and bilberry is a commonly used technique to remove moorland vegetation.

Fire has been a natural part of ecology for thousands of years and is one of the oldest land management tools.

If managed well, controlled burns can provide “improved accessibility and better food value for grazing animals and produce a diversity of vegetation... suitable for a variety of wildlife and game” according to Welsh government’s 2008 Heather and Grass Burning Code.

However if not done properly, it states controlled burns can “damage valuable grazing, plants, animals, habitats and historic features, water quality and soil”, be “unsafe” and a “waste of time and resources”.

Despite a 2022 petition to stop controlled burns after one in Mynydd Mawr raged out of control, the Senedd resolved that the code was still fit for purpose.