High Risk of More Wildfires Across UK As Residents Evacuate Blaze in Wales

Large parts of the UK are at risk of more severe wildfires in the coming week as firefighters in north Wales try to contain a major blaze that has forced local residents to evacuate.  

The warning from the Fire Severity Index (FSI) comes after thousands died in recent heatwaves, according to researchers, as the country experiences the consequences of the global climate emergency. 

The fire at Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain has been declared a major incident. It broke out on Sunday, affecting at least 200 acres of land and leading to the evacuation of 36 homes. 

The blaze is expected to continue for some time “due to the size and complexity of the incident”, said Jami Jennings from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

It is one of 19 wildfires currently being tackled across England and Wales, Dave Swallow, a wildfire expert with the National Fire Chiefs Council, told Sky News. 

A large area of England will be at risk of level five, or “exceptional” blazes – the most severe level – by Thursday, the FSI shows. The index uses data such as wind speed, temperature and rainfall for its predictions. 

Temperatures are expected to exceed 30C in parts of England and Wales this week and could reach the mid-30s in some places. 

The heatwaves that have gripped the country since May have killed an estimated 2,700 people so far, according to figures from a team at Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

The extreme heat has raised the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other medical emergencies, they said.  

UK intelligence leaders have warned that climate collapse is set to cause crop failures leading to severe food shortages, which could begin in as little as five years. The joint intelligence committee warned in a recent report that the climate emergency threatens the country’s national security. 

Green party leader Zack Polanski on Monday called on the Labour government to halt airport expansion and end oil and gas drilling in response to the crisis. 

“As wildfires rage, Andy Burnham still won’t rule out airport expansion,” Polanski said. “The incoming prime minister can’t say the climate crisis is an emergency whilst backing policies that make it worse.”