Firefighters were tackling 19 separate wildfires on Monday afternoon as most of England and Wales faced a very high risk of fire. A major incident was declared in Derbyshire on the same day, underscoring how quickly the heatwave has pushed emergency crews across multiple regions at once.
Natural England said the highest risk was in the South West, London, eastern England and Wales, while only the Isle of Wight faced exceptional wildfire risk. The warning came as the UK moved through its third heatwave of the year, with hot, dry and sunny weather making fire spread easier and keeping the Fire Pit threat high for anyone spending time outdoors.
That scale matters because the emergency was not confined to one corner of the country. Fire and rescue services were already stretched by active blazes on Monday, including a wildfire on Tintwistle Moor in Glossop that had been burning for three weeks. In North Wales, a major incident declared on Sunday over a wildfire near Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain was lifted late on Monday, and residents were able to return after around 60 people were forced to leave their homes early on Sunday in Penmaenmawr.
For Lisa Goodier, the alarm came before daybreak. She said the biggest shock was police knocking on doors at 6.30am and telling residents to grab a bag and leave. That early evacuation captures the pressure on local crews: the immediate danger passed in North Wales, but firefighters were still dealing with dozens of other wildfires across the UK at the same time.
Dave Swallow said the conditions were enough to make wildfire risk rise sharply, but he warned that weather alone does not light the flames. A disposable barbecue left behind, a discarded cigarette or even a glass bottle in the sunshine can provide the spark, and Natural England bases its fire severity assessment on wind speed, temperature, time of year and rainfall. The Met Office said the hot, dry and sunny spell was expected to last into the coming week, which means the same places facing the most risk on Monday may remain exposed for days more.
The practical reality is blunt: the North Wales major incident is over for now, but the wider fire danger is not. With fire crews still being pulled between active blazes and the weather set to stay warm and dry, the next test is whether people treat the warning as a one-day alert or as a week-long instruction to be careful.
