Wildfires driving rare eco-systems to ‘extinction’

Local TV

Wildfires across Wales have been particularly bad this year, and organisations are concerned for what it’s doing to rare wildlife across the country. Dryer, warmer weather in March and April has caused ten times as many fire service call out’s compared to last year.

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00:00Weeks of wildfires across Wales have caused severe damage to wildlife and vital habitats,

00:06with charities warning that entire ecosystems have been decimated.

00:09One of the driest marches in recent decades, combined with above-average temperatures in April,

00:14has created ideal conditions for wildfires, making it one of the worst fire seasons on record.

00:19In Powys, a huge blaze tore through Aberguezin Common, destroying around 1,600 hectares of land,

00:25an area roughly 400 times the size of Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

00:29Conservationists fear the fire has wiped out the last known breeding ground of golden plovers in the area.

00:35Chris Smith from the National Trust said the fire's impact was hard to fathom,

00:40with birds, insects, amphibians and entire habitats scorched.

00:44Peat bogs in the area, some of which had taken years to restore, may now take centuries to recover.

00:49Across Wales, the number of wildfires have surged.

00:52South Wales Fire and Rescue Service responded to over 400 wildfires in the first few months of 2025,

00:57up from just 34 in the previous period last year.

01:01And it's happening outside Wales too.

01:03Recent fires in the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland and the Peak District in England

01:07have devastated landscapes used by rare birds and insects.

01:10A blaze at Howden Moor caused around £30,000 worth of damage and undid years of conservation work.

01:16Charities including WWF Cymru and the Wildlife Trust says that fires are a stark warning about the accelerating impact of climate change.

01:24They're calling on the UK government to take urgent action to protect vulnerable nature areas.

01:30Efforts are already underway to adapt landscapes by making them wetter and more fire resistant,

01:35including restoring bogs and creating natural fire breaks.

01:38And locals with houses near the fires will certainly hope it works.

01:41James Beach Watkins reporting for Local TV.

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01:52For local testing and local TV.

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