Firefighter Phil Morris, a group manager with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service who had spent the summer battling wildfires across Wales, returned home to find his own house destroyed by fire while he was out. He first suspected trouble after remotely checking CCTV on his wife's phone and seeing the power cut out; he alerted colleagues, but by the time he arrived at the property in Llangammarch Wells, Powys, the roof had already collapsed and only the four external walls remained standing.

None of Mr Morris's family were at the barn conversion when the blaze broke out, so no one was hurt, though the family lost irreplaceable possessions including childhood photographs and their children's sporting trophies. A local fundraiser launched in the aftermath, originally targeting £10,000, has since raised more than £29,000, which Mr Morris said has been overwhelming and restored his faith in humanity. Brecon Fire Station, whose crew responded to the incident, said it was a call none of them had expected to receive given the property belonged to their own group manager.