Rural Community Evacuated as Mountain Wildfire Declared Major Incident

A mountain wildfire that forced people in a rural community to evacuate their homes has been declared a major incident, with a family describing how they heard the blaze "coming down the mountain".

The fire, near Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass in Conwy county, broke out on Sunday morning.

Firefighters have been working in "challenging conditions" in order to contain the fire and protect local communities, said Jami Jennings, from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

One family evacuated from their home said the fire reached their driveway, coming within 200 metres of their house.

The fire service urged people to avoid the area, and told residents in nearby communities to keep windows and doors shut.

"Wildfires can spread rapidly, particularly during periods of hot, dry and windy weather," Jennings said.

"We continue to ask everyone to act responsibly by avoiding the use of disposable barbecues, ensuring cigarettes are fully extinguished and reporting any signs of fire immediately by calling 999."

Michelle Campbell, 44, her husband Ben, 46, and their three sons fled their home in Capelulo as the fire reached their property.

"The sound was worse than anything. It was so loud, the crackling. You could hear it coming down the mountain," said Ben.

He said he received a missed call at 04:30, but 30 minutes later a neighbour banged on their door and said: "The mountain's on fire above your house."

The couple and their three boys – aged three, seven and eight – initially moved to a holiday rental they own nearby, but were forced to leave that when the fire approached.

They have now rented a property on Anglesey for this week, and are awaiting an update on their home.

"We have no idea what the situation is," Michelle said.

"But we're safe, and the boys are okay. And we're insured."

The couple said a river runs near their property, and fire crews were using it to pump water to fight the fire.

"It was really scary," Michelle added.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted to the fire in the early hours, while local resident Rita Raweily said she was awoken to the sound of her dog "barking wildly".

"I got ready, threw some clothes on and went to see if there was anything I could do to help," she added.

Raweily said there was a smell of burning in the air that got worse as the wind picked up and the area was "really smoky".

"That whole area near the house is an evacuation zone and we don't know when we are going home," she said.

"But that's fine because we are safe."

Raweily said she had "no idea" what condition her house was in but she hoped "all will be well".

"I don't think we are getting back in the house tonight. It is really worrying," she added.

One person had been taken to hospital so far, she said, but "everyone is safe".

Raweily, a volunteer community coordinator, advised people to follow the instructions provided by the emergency services, who have been "brilliant", she said.

"Houses can be replaced, people can't," she added.

On Sunday evening, North Wales Fire Service said crews were also responding to a number of grass fires on Halkyn Mountain, in Flintshire, and the Braichmelyn Forest in Bethesda, Gwynedd.

It comes as most of Wales is deemed to be of "very high risk" of wildfires in the coming days.

Forecasters have said parts of the country will remain extremely hot and dry in the coming days as the country swelters in the third heatwave of the year.

Dave Swallow, from the National Fire Chiefs Council, warned that such conditions "significantly increase wildfire risk", reminding people that "we all have a role to play".

"Summer should be a time for people to enjoy the outdoors but it's important not to underestimate the risks," he said.

"Every year we see devastating wildfires and tragic drownings in inland water."

Swallow urged people to "enjoy the warmer weather safely" and "look out for one another".

The Met Office has warned people planning to enjoy the water in the hot weather to be careful and check the water temperature to avoid cold water shocks, external.

Additional reporting by Nicholas Bourne