Major incidents declared as wildfires rage across North Wales and Derbyshire

Fire crews in North Wales and Derbyshire declared major incidents as fast-moving blazes spread across moorland, woodland and villages, forcing evacuations near Conwy Mountain and pulling specialist resources into the Peak District. In North Wales, residents in Dwygyfylchi, Penmaenmawr and Capelulo were told to close windows and doors as flames threatened land near Sychnant Pass, and 36 properties were evacuated before people were later able to return.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service escalated the Tintwistle Moor wildfire near Glossop as winds and dry ground worsened the risk on the edge of the Peak District. The fire began on 24 June and had been burning for around three weeks when the major incident was declared, by which point it had affected about 260 hectares, or 642 acres, of moorland and woodland. Crews returned to the site after flare-ups, using drone reconnaissance, helicopter water drops and a specialist wildfire team with support from partner agencies.

Nineteen active wildfire incidents were recorded on the National Fire Chiefs Council’s National Resilience wildfire reporting system for England and Wales. Phil Garrigan, the council’s chair, said crews were under “extreme pressure” because of continued hot, dry and windy conditions, warning that without rain the situation becomes problematic. Fire and rescue services in England and Wales responded to 342 wildfires between 1 January and 6 July 2026, compared with 639 over the same period in 2025.

The weekend’s fires also affected Hampshire, Durham, West Sussex, East Sussex, Devon and Somerset. The UK’s third heatwave since late May coincided with the outbreaks, and the Met Office recorded temperatures of 35C or higher in May, June and July for the first time in the UK weather record.