Conwy wildfire forces evacuations as UK heatwave fuels blazes

Fire crews evacuated a small number of residents from homes near Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain after a wildfire in north Wales escalated into a major incident. People in nearby Dwygyfylchi, Penmaenmawr and Capelulo were told to close windows and doors, and some were told to leave as a precaution while a rest centre was opened for displaced residents.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service deployed multiple fire appliances, specialist wildfire resources and partner agencies to protect nearby communities, property, infrastructure and the environment. Jami Jennings, the service’s delivery manager, said operations were expected to continue for some time as firefighters worked in difficult conditions across the hillside above Conwy.

The blaze broke out during the UK’s third heatwave since late May. The Met Office recorded temperatures of 35C or higher in May, June and July of the same year for the first time in the UK weather record.

On 8 July, the National Fire Chiefs Council warned that temperatures were forecast to exceed 30C in many areas and could reach around 34C in some places. National resilience data had already recorded 306 wildfires in England and Wales between 1 January and 18 June 2026, and parts of the country had seen more wildfires by mid-June than at the same point in 2022, a year that went on to become the worst wildfire year on record.

Public Health Wales issued public advice on 12 July warning that dry conditions were increasing wildfire risk and urging people to take precautions. Smoke from the Conwy fire was visible from miles around, and the combination of steep ground, dry vegetation and nearby housing made the response more complex than a remote hillside blaze.