A wildfire tearing through the Rhinogydd mountains in Wales has grown so large it is now visible from space, with satellite data suggesting around 951 hectares of land have already been burned.
A helicopter has been brought in to help tackle the blaze, which has been ripping through one of Wales’s most dramatic and remote mountain landscapes. The scale of the fire has shocked locals and emergency responders alike, with the sheer size of the burn area putting it among the most significant wildfires seen in Wales in recent memory.
Satellite imagery analysed by BBC Verify confirmed the extent of the damage, painting a stark picture of just how much of the Rhinogydd range has been consumed by the flames. For context, 951 hectares is roughly the equivalent of over 1,300 football pitches gone up in smoke.
The Rhinogydd, sometimes spelled Rhinogs, sit in Gwynedd in northwest Wales and form part of the Eryri National Park. The area is known for its rugged, ancient landscape, blanket bog, and heathland, all of which are highly vulnerable to fire, particularly during dry and windy spells.
Firefighters have faced a tough battle given how remote and difficult to access much of the terrain is. That is exactly why a helicopter has been deployed, allowing crews to attack the fire from the air in areas that ground teams simply cannot reach quickly on foot.
Wildfires on upland moorland and mountain areas like the Rhinogydd can be particularly destructive because the vegetation, including deep peat, can burn for extended periods. Peat fires are notoriously hard to extinguish and can smoulder underground for days or even weeks after surface flames appear to have died down.
The environmental impact of a fire this size is considerable. Upland habitats in Wales support rare plant species, ground-nesting birds, and delicate ecosystems that can take decades to recover from severe burning. Conservation groups have long warned that increasing wildfire risk, driven in part by drier conditions linked to climate change, poses a serious long-term threat to these landscapes.
Local communities near the Rhinogydd will be watching developments closely. While the mountains themselves are sparsely populated, smoke from large upland fires can affect nearby towns and villages, and there are always concerns about fires spreading toward farmland or properties.
Authorities have not yet confirmed what caused the fire to start, and investigations into the origin of blazes like this can be complex given the remote nature of the terrain involved.
This incident adds to growing concern about the frequency and severity of wildfires in Wales during drier months. Emergency services and land managers have repeatedly called for greater public awareness around fire risk in upland areas, particularly during prolonged dry weather when vegetation becomes tinder dry.
For now, the priority remains bringing the blaze under control and preventing it from spreading further across one of Wales’s most treasured wild landscapes.