A 20-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson after fireworks were reportedly let off near a major moorland fire in the Peak District that has scorched 260 hectares – one of 19 wildfires still burning across England and Wales as fire chiefs warn the prolonged heatwave is pushing crews to breaking point.
Phil Garrigan, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, told BBC Breakfast that dry weather had increased the risk of uncontrollable fires and that there appeared to be no rain in the forecast. “There’s no real respite… That becomes problematic,” he said.
“19 wildfires burn across UK as fire chiefs warn of extreme pressure due to prolonged heatwave”
Major incidents were declared on Sunday in Conwy, north Wales, and in Glossop, Derbyshire. The blaze near Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass has since been brought under control, according to North Wales Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief fire officer Justin Evans. But firefighters are still tackling active blazes in Braichmelyn forestry near Bethesda and the Rhinogydd mountain range near Harlech.
Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, whose land borders Conwy Mountain, said he had “never seen anything of that scale. It was unreal.” He said ponies grazing on the mountain had escaped and he had feared for a neighbour’s pigs. “The biggest worry was that they were going to suffocate in the smoke, but the smoke did carry over them,” he confirmed, adding that the animals had survived.
Further south, around 30 to 40 firefighters remain on Tintwistle Moor near Dovestone Reservoir, where the fire started on 24 June. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service senior fire chief Ben Levy said crews faced “a very challenging and gruelling day ahead” as high temperatures, strong winds and dry conditions continued to fuel the blaze.
Other areas affected over the weekend include Hampshire, Durham, West Sussex, East Sussex, Devon and Somerset. In southern England, including London, the risk has been declared “extreme”. Natural England warns of a “very high” or “exceptional” risk of fires across much of England and Wales over the coming days.
The Met Office has forecast highs of 33C, with no immediate relief in sight for the fire-ravaged landscape.