Drifting smoke from the blaze on Alltwen Mountain near Dwygyfylchi is affecting conditions on North Wales' main trunk road
Drivers are being warned about drifting smoke on the A55 in Conwy county, after a huge gorse fire which has raged for 18 hours.
The warning has been issued for the area between J16 Conwy and J17 Dwygyfylchi in both directions.
North Wales Fire Service was alerted to the blaze yesterday at 10.45pm and eyewitnesses described massive flames and smoke across a wide area.
Fire crews stood down at 2.20am only to be recalled four hours later.
Eyewitness Ali Newell-Evans, from Gwynan Park in the village, said: “I took pictures at around 4.20am. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and you could hear the crackling of the flames.
“I thought the fire crews were still up there as I’d phoned them earlier at 10.50pm on Saturday when my daughter and her fiance were off up the opposite mountain to go camping.
“I noticed it before they left to go up there. Luckily they were off the opposite side of the path.
“I didn’t realise fire crews had gone or I’d have rung back as it was really ablaze at 4.20am.
“To be honest what got me most was I could hear the crackles of burning and I’m not that close.”
The fire service has not released the size of the blaze but they have sectioned areas of the mountain off to make it more manageable.
A spokeswoman said: “We received a call at 10.45pm on Saturday night about a fire covering a large area of Alltwen Mountain and sent four crews who stayed until 2.20am.
“They were recalled at 6.20am and four crews are again in attendance.
“The fire has been sectorised and they are fighting the fire from lower down as it is too dangerous higher up.”
Celebrity local farmer and town councillor Gareth Wyn Jones recently appeared in a public information film about fire prevention.
He said: “It’s got so dry up there it’s a prime area for fires.
“It’s going to devastate a hell of a big piece of land.
“It’s a shame with nesting birds and wildlife around at this time of year.
“It’s a terrible shame.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/a55-drivers-warned-drifting-smoke-11429809
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