For 10 days fire fighters worked around the clock last summer to fight the raging wildfires at Cwmcarn Forest Drive.
At its height, the flames covered more than 100 hectares at the Risca site, home to the Twmbarlwm iron hill fort thought to have been built by a Celtic tribe before the Romans.
And it wasn't the only one.
Last summer South Wales Fire and Rescue attended more grass fires in July and August than in 2016 and 2017 combined, as temperatures soared past 30C.
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At the same time, fire services in north Wales spent £290,000 in personnel costs alone to fight a 40-day fire in Denbighshire, BBC Wales reported last year.
During one July weekend alone seven local authorities were faced with major grass fires - forcing residents out of their homes as a safety precaution.
And now, ahead of what has traditionally been one of the busiest weekends for fire and rescue services, those working to fix the damage have laid bare the lasting effect wildfires can have.
Terry Evans is chairman of the Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society working to protect and preserve the area.
According to him, around one third of the historical monument affected by the flames has been badly damaged - including the steep sides of hill's mound and the crests of the surrounding ramparts.
While efforts to re-seed the area were carried out last year, storms and bad weather has meant the healing process has not gone as well as it was first hoped.
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He said: "There has been regeneration in places but not as much as we could have liked.
"We had a re-seeding event a couple of months ago. We work closely with Cadw so we took them up there to show them the damage and they brought in landscape engineers to show us clearly what damage was done to the historical monument.
"As a result we decided to try to re-seed it in October which was quite late in the season. In some places it took and in some places the storm blew a lot of seeds away.
"It meant that a lot of original growth has come back but not as much of the new."
The scene of the devastating forest fire:
Since the fire Cadw have now carried out a long-term plan to preserve the area through the use of materials including fibre matting.
While some areas suffered damage only the top grass and heather, leaving the roots undamaged, other areas must start again from scratch.
Thankfully, the society have been overwhelmed by the support of volunteers who have turned out to help their cause.
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Mr Evans said: "The fire took the top of the grass in some areas but the winds drove away the surface revealing the underlying rock.
"It's taken away the seedbed which means that there is nothing there to re-grow.
"On the plus side, as we have had the surface taken off it has revealed more archaeology underneath. We hope we will be able to identify more areas."
On Good Friday hundreds of people are expected to walk Twmbarlwm to mark the start of Easter weekend.
This year, Mr Evans has been busy making sure signs are on site to remind visitors of the dangers of grass fires.
He said: "On Good Friday it's tradition in this area that people climb the mountain. We lead guided tours from three or four different locations and this year it will be different because of the fires.
"People go up there with throw-away barbecues and the ferns are all very dry at the moment.
On Monday night fires and rescue services were called to tackle a combined 133 hectares of mountainside fire on Rhigos and Maerdy mountains.
With the flames seen "licking the sky", residents compared the scene to something like the apocalypse.
In the aftermath of the fire, the mountainside is now charred black, prompting fears over the wildlife in the area.
But for those living in touching distance, it can also cause worries over safety. You can read about what it's like to live just metres away from a grass fire here.
Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: "We have already seen a number of quite substantial grass fires in Rhondda Cynon Taf over the past few days, with two particularly large fires on both the Rhigos and Maerdy mountains which spanned a combined area of land in excess of 133 hectares. There was also a significant mountain fire in the Abercynon area.
"I think it’s fair to say that our local communities are fed up of these deliberate acts, which not only put a significant and wholly unnecessary strain on our emergency services in tackling the fires, but can also have health implications for residents with breathing difficulties who are exposed to the smoke.
"Aside from the obvious dangers, I would stress that even once the blazes have been extinguished that the ground could still be burning and this obviously presents a massive risk to those hiking or walking their pets across the mountains."
Cllr Morgan added: "My thanks must once again go to South Wales Fore and Rescue who worked tirelessly to tackle the spate of fires across the county and beyond, particularly at Maerdy and Rhigos where the efforts extended through Monday night and into Tuesday morning.
"The council and South Wales Fire and Rescue are pro-actively working together to deliver a new awareness raising campaign to remind people of the dangers and the impact that these fires can have.
"I’d urge anyone with any knowledge of those responsible to come forward and report them to either the Council or South Wales Police."
South Wales Fire and Rescue were contacted for comment.
