William warns of future UK wildfire risk on Wales visit

Prince William warned that the prospect of more UK wildfires is a serious concern and said preparation will be crucial, during an October visit to fire crews in Treherbert, Wales. He also raised the limited availability of firefighting aircraft as an issue for emergency services. The Prince of Wales visited frontline crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service in Rhondda Cynon Taf, where a mountain fire threatened the community in August. He thanked firefighters and met local volunteers and residents who had supported the response. Crews showed him drones used to locate and monitor blazes. William said 2026 was the first summer in which he had felt generally worried about the scale of wildfires in the country. He said the possibility of another severe season was concerning if preparations were not in place, and called for the UK to take wildfires as seriously as countries on the continent. His comments about climate change and future fire risk were warnings he made during the visit. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident in August while responding to 14 wildfires at the same time, including the blaze above Treherbert. Twenty-two other UK fire services...