Phil Garrigan said North Wales and other crews were still under pressure as around 19 fires remained active across the UK during the heatwave. On Breakfast, the National Fire Chiefs Council chair said dry weather had raised the risk of fires becoming uncontrollable.
He said, "There's no real respite... There doesn't seem to be any rain forecast and that becomes problematic". That warning came as firefighters kept working on blazes in North Wales and several other parts of the country.
Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass
The fire near Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass broke out on Sunday in Conwy county, and a major incident was declared there the same day. North Wales Fire Pit major incident declared near Conwy Mountain later showed the response had moved into control mode, with Justin Evans of North Wales Fire and Rescue Service saying the major incident had been brought under control.
Even so, firefighters were still tackling several active blazes in Braichmelyn forestry near Bethesda and the Rhinogydd near Harlech. The same day major incidents were declared in Glossop, Derbyshire, as weekend wildfires spread across Hampshire, Durham, West Sussex, East Sussex, Devon and Somerset.
Gareth Wyn Jones near Conwy
Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, whose land borders Conwy Mountain, said he had "never seen anything of that scale". He said ponies grazing on the mountain escaped, and he feared for a neighbour's pigs as flames swept through surrounding land.
"The biggest worry was that they were going to suffocate in the smoke, but the smoke did carry over them," he said. The pigs survived, but crews still had several fires to handle while no significant rain was forecast for at least a week.
Ben Levy in the Peak District
Ben Levy of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said around 30 to 40 firefighters were continuing to tackle blazes at a number of locations in the Peak District, including Tintwistle Moor and another near Dove Stone Reservoir on the adjacent Saddleworth Moor. He said crews faced "a very challenging and gruelling day ahead" as high temperatures, strong winds and dry conditions kept feeding the fires.
Shania Care-Slede, 20, from Hyde, was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of arson related to the Dovestone fire. With multiple fires still active and rain not expected soon, crews in North Wales and elsewhere remain in a holding pattern that depends on weather as much as manpower.
