There is a "terrifying prospect" of more UK wildfires in future due to climate change and preparation will be "crucial", the Prince of Wales has said. Visiting Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which was threatened by a huge mountain fire in August, Prince William praised a "gargantuan" effort to save homes, land and lives. "We need to start taking wildfires as seriously as the continent has done," he said, raising issues such as a lack of firefighting aircraft.
He also suggested the community's response to the incident was an example for others to follow, after locals rallied around to support those fighting the flames. The hillside, just metres away from the community centre where Prince William met fire crews, military personnel and local volunteers is burnt black. "You looked up [and] the mountain was alight - it was like lava," explained Kath Edwards, managing director of charity Valleys Kids, which runs the building.
"I genuinely thought we were going to lose the centre - but more importantly people were going to lose their homes. "You never think this is going to come literally to your door and that's what it was - it was just crazy." South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) declared a major incident as it was forced to respond to 14 wildfires at the same time in August, including the one above Treherbert. Support was drafted in from 22 other UK fire services while soldiers were deployed to dig fire breaks and help supply 2.1 million litres of water to douse the flames, including 200 members of the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment.
Aled Bound, who is crew manager at Maesteg fire station and a retained - on-call - firefighter at Treorchy told Prince William it was "the hardest wildfire season" he and his colleagues had ever dealt with. Months of record-breaking heat and dry conditions sparked a wave of wildfires across the UK through spring and summer. He described it was "mentally and physically draining".
"I've never had to take so much water up a mountain to put on a fire and still come back the next day because that fire has relit, because it's so deep-seated," Bound said. With climate change, he warned it "could well be a sign of what's to come". Figures from the National Fire Chiefs Council show a new all-time high for recorded significant wildfires - 1,350 across England and Wales, up by more than 300 on 2025 and more than 1,000 on 2024.
Prince William told firefighters that 2026 was the first summer "where I've felt generally worried about the scale of the wildfires in the country". He added: "We might go again next season... it's quite a terrifying prospect if we're not... on the ball." He asked about availability of firefighting aircraft, noting that "the need for aerial assets has been hoisted quite high up in government" as an area "we're lacking". The prince served a three-year tour flying Sea King helicopters with the Search and Rescue team at RAF Valley on Anglesey between 2010 and 2013, qualifying as a captain.
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