Mountain rescue team's Dowlais base damaged by fire

A fire has damaged the headquarters of a mountain rescue team.

The base of Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team in Dowlais, near Merthyr Tydfil, caught fire at about 20:30 GMT.

Mark Moran, the team's secretary, said the building housed three rescue vehicles and all of the equipment.

He said: "I'm stood outside and there's an awful lot of smoke coming out of the building. Nobody has been hurt but it's not looking good for the rescue base."

Mr Moran said the extent of the damage was not yet known, but one of the vehicles, a van worth about £100,000, had been destroyed.

Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, a charity, covers the Brecon Beacons National Park and the surrounding areas in mid and south Wales.

"It's not a good night," said Mr Moran. "It's too dangerous to go inside, it's still on fire."

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 20:34 to a building fire in High Street, Dowlais Top.

Four crews were sent and crews were still tackling the blaze late on Saturday night.