Major incident declared over wildfire in North Wales - as parts of UK face risk of 'exceptional' blazes

A major incident has been declared by emergency services dealing with a large wildfire in North Wales.

Firefighters say they are working to protect communities from the fire near Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain.

The news comes with a huge swathe of the UK is at risk of "exceptional" wildfires in the coming week, according to Natural England.

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Dave Swallow, the National Fire Chief's Council's wildfire tactical advisor, told Sky News firefighters are currently tackling 19 wildfires across England and Wales and said strong winds following the prolonged dry weather are "exacerbating the challenge".

Jami Jennings, from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Firefighters remain on scene working in challenging conditions to contain the fire and protect surrounding communities, property, infrastructure and the environment...

"Due to the size and complexity of the incident, operations are expected to continue for some time.

"We would ask members of the public to avoid the affected area to allow emergency services to work safely and efficiently. Please follow any road closures, evacuation advice or safety instructions issued by the emergency services.

"Residents in nearby communities of Dwygyfylchi and Penmaenmawr should keep windows and doors closed if affected by smoke and seek medical advice if they experience breathing difficulties. Motorists are advised to expect delays and consider alternative routes."

North Wales Police are overseeing the evacuation residents living nearby.

There is concern about the heatwave leading to wildfires elsewhere in the country.

The Fire Severity Index (FSI) measures how severe a blaze could be, going from level one (low) to level five (exceptional).

The forecast for the coming days shows the likely fire severity is "very high" across most of England - and by Thursday (16 July), a huge swathe of the country will be in the top category.

Information on wind speed, temperature, time of year and rainfall is used to produce the forecasts, along with weather data from the Met Office.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue has been called out to two moorland wildfires in recent days, while some London rail lines were closed on Friday evening after a blaze involving shrubbery at Stratford station.

On Saturday, teams tackled a fire at Devil's Dyke in South Downs National Park, West Sussex, and firefighters in East Sussex were called out to a "large fire in the open" on the South Downs near Eastbourne.

The scorching heatwave conditions being experienced by much of the UK are due to last into the coming week, with most areas expected to stay dry, sunny and very hot.

Mr Swallow warned that such conditions "significantly increase wildfire risk" but said almost all are started by people - either deliberately or accidentally.

"Whether it is a disposable barbecue left behind, a discarded cigarette, or even a glass bottle left in the sunshine, we all have a role to play in preventing them," he said.

Heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) were extended on Saturday.

Amber alerts for the West Midlands and South West, and yellow alerts for the East Midlands, the North West, the South East, the East of England and London, will remain in place until 9pm Wednesday.

The UKHSA said significant impacts are likely across health and social care services, and warned of a potential increase in water-related incidents across England, including cold water shock and drowning.

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Wildfires have raged across southern Europe in the past week.

Firefighters in southeastern Spain are still battling a blaze that started on Thursday - which has so far killed 12 people, with a further 23 missing - while several wildfires are ongoing amid soaring temperatures in France, where a firefighter has died.

(c) Sky News 2026: Major incident declared over wildfire in North Wales - as parts of UK face risk of 'exceptional' blazes