Huge Rhinogydd wildfire burns for days amid helicopter calls

Natural Resources Wales said the wildfire in the Rhinogydd near Harlech was first reported on 12 July and was still being tackled on 16 July by its crews and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service. The blaze burned through a remote mountain area in Gwynedd that includes highly protected habitats, putting a sensitive landscape under pressure for days.

Calls grew for water-bombing helicopters and even military help as aerial support was delayed or unavailable because other wildfires elsewhere in Wales were already tying up resources. One campsite owner in Trawsfynydd said she went to bed “seeing the mountain literally ablaze”, a description that captured how visible the fire had become across the surrounding area.

The fire was also moving east and edging close to forests, while crews across North Wales were stretched by a wider run of significant blazes. One account said firefighters were still dealing with six significant fires across the region. Another said more than 40 firefighters were tackling the Rhinogydd blaze across more than 200 hectares, with smoke from a mountain fire the size of about 300 football pitches being smelt 30 miles away in Cardiff.

The dispute over helicopter cover has exposed the difference between contingency planning and actual capacity when several major fires hit at once. On paper, aerial attack can be part of the emergency response; in practice, those assets were already committed elsewhere, leaving ground crews to contain a large fire in rugged terrain where access is slow and habitats are highly protected.

The wider backdrop is a sharp rise in wildfire risk across Wales. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the number of wildfires in Wales between March and May 2025 was up 407% compared with the same period in 2024. Fire services have repeatedly warned the public not to add to the danger, and Natural Resources Wales’ wildfire banner says: “Do not light fires or BBQs in the countryside.”

Farmers and residents have warned that a fire of this size could leave lasting damage long after the flames are out, especially in a mountain landscape where recovery is likely to be slow.