Major incident declared in north Wales as firefighters tackle Conwy Mountain wildfire

Emergency services in north Wales have declared a major incident as firefighters work to contain a large wildfire near Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass. Residents in nearby communities have been evacuated, and the public has been warned to avoid the area while crews continue their response. The fire is being tackled during a record-breaking heatwave that has also seen other grass and moorland fires reported across England and Wales.

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North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said on Sunday afternoon that it was operating in challenging conditions and that efforts to contain the Conwy Mountain fire were expected to continue for some time. Residents in the village of Capelulo, near the mountain, were advised by the town council to leave safely and follow instructions from emergency services at the scene. People in nearby areas were also told to keep windows and doors closed and to seek medical advice if they experienced breathing difficulties.

The service later said it was also responding to a number of grass fire incidents, including one in Braichmelyn Forest in Bethesda. Elsewhere, fire crews were dealing with a moorland fire near Dovestone Reservoir in Greater Manchester and a large heathland fire in Camberley, Hampshire. Wildfires were also reported over the weekend in County Durham, Derbyshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Devon and Somerset, as parts of the country faced what forecasters described as an exceptional risk of fire.

The incident in north Wales matters because it comes during a prolonged spell of hot weather that has increased pressure on emergency services across the UK. The combination of high temperatures, dry ground and, in some places, strong winds has created conditions in which fires can spread quickly and be difficult to control. The declaration of a major incident indicates that the scale of the response has moved beyond routine local resources and requires wider coordination.

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The wildfire also highlights the wider strain on fire services during the current heatwave. Natural England said southern England and pockets of the south Midlands were at the highest wildfire risk over the next few days, while many other areas in England and Wales were at very high risk. Amber and yellow heat health alerts were in place from Sunday night to Wednesday night, and parts of the UK were set to enter a second week of temperatures above the heatwave threshold.

What remains unclear is how much of the Conwy Mountain fire has been brought under control and whether further evacuations will be needed. Emergency services have said operations are expected to continue for some time, and residents have been told to follow official advice as conditions develop. The next key question is whether the weather will ease enough to reduce the risk of further outbreaks and allow crews to make sustained progress.

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