Conwy villagers flee homes as wildfires burn in Wales and England

Helicopters have been brought in to tackle the wildfire burning in Derbyshire. Photograph: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP View image in fullscreen Helicopters have been brought in to tackle the wildfire burning in Derbyshire. Photograph: Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP Conwy villagers flee homes as wildfires burn in Wales and England Major incidents declared in north Wales and Derbyshire as Natural England warns of ‘exceptional fire risk’ Villagers were evacuated from their homes as a wildfire swept across a mountainside in north Wales , prompting firefighters to declare a major incident. People described hearing the crackling fire advancing down Conwy Mountain towards homes as ash fell from a sky turned dark by thick smoke. A second major incident was declared in Derbyshire, where fire chiefs said they were working to protect homes, infrastructure and wildlife. Wildfires have also burned in places including County Durham, Greater Manchester, East Sussex, West Sussex, Devon, Somerset and Greater London over the last few days. Natural England said there remained an “exceptional fire risk” in pockets of southern Britain and a “very high” risk for much of England and Wales. A combination of continuing hot weather and high winds is making it hard to tackle the wildfires currently ablaze and increasing the risk of more starting. North Wales fire and rescue service was called to Conwy Mountain in the early hours of Sunday and declared a major incident later that day. It said “hundreds of acres” of land were affected, and that at one point the front of the fire measured almost a mile across. The fire service said the steep terrain made it hard to contain the blaze, which was whipped by strong winds. A spokesperson asked people to avoid the area. “Local residents should keep windows and doors closed if affected by smoke. Everyone close to the Conwy Mountain who needed to evacuate has been contacted and supported through this process.” One resident, Ben Campbell, fled with his wife, Michelle, and their three sons from Capelulo as the fire neared their home. He told the BBC: “The sound was worse than anything. It was so loud, the crackling. You could hear it coming down the mountain.” Another said she had felt helpless and scared as she was evacuated from her home. Derbyshire fire and rescue service (DFRS) said there was a “large scale wildfire” at Tintwistle Moor caused by “tinder dry” ground. The operation to douse the flames included dropping water from helicopters. Ellie Gillatt, a DFRS area manager, said: “Firefighters continue to face challenging conditions as they work to tackle the wildfire and protect the surrounding infrastructure and environment. “This remains a significant and complex incident. DFRS has deployed multiple fire appliances and specialist wildfire resources.” Extra firefighters from neighbouring services were called in to help, along with mountain rescue teams and the police. Greater Manchester fire and rescue service was called to a moorland fir