Wales’ wildfires could see nature take centuries to recover, environmentalists say

It could be hundreds of years before habitats destroyed by wildfires in Wales recover, an environment watchdog has said.

Nick Thomas, from Natural Resources Wales (NRW), said if soil had been incinerated in upland areas rich in peat, which grows at about a millimetre a year, it could take centuries for the vegetation to come back.

He called 2026 the worst year Wales had ever experienced.

As well as damage to natural habitats and animal life, Thomas warned loss of soil could increase flood risks, because it no longer acts as a “sponge” holding water on high ground.

Wales has witnessed huge wildfires this summer, including one major incident and the evacuation of a village in Conwy county.

In the Rhinogydd mountain range in Gwynedd, which is home to a National Nature Reserve and a Special Area of Conservation, a blaze burned for nearly two weeks and affected more than 2,000 acres.

Both fires were visible from space.

Meanwhile a fire in Blaenavon, Torfaen, could be smelt as far away as Cardiff.

Although fewer wildfires were reported in the second half of July in England and Wales compared with 2025, Thomas said: “This year seems to have been worse, I would say, than any of the ones I can remember.

“I would expect this to probably be the worst year for wildfires perhaps we’ve ever had.”

While some areas will recover quite quickly – potentially within a couple of years – he said: “It all depends on how deep the fire goes.

“If a fire burns into the soil and incinerates the soil… then you’ve lost hundreds of years worth of soil.

“So it’s going to take hundreds of years really for that vegetation to come back in a similar way to what it was.”