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Prince William made a private visit to meet emergency service workers who spent the summer saving peoples’ lives and homes from wildfires
The prince, 44, was in Wales for the Aberfan memorial when he made the visit
In the summer, he issued a message on his social media warning these episodes “are a stark reminder of the challenges posed by an increasingly extreme climate”
Prince William is praising the work of emergency responders while warning of the “terrifying prospect” of not being prepared for wildfires caused by an increasingly extreme weather events.
The Prince of Wales, 44, made a surprise appearance as he met fire crews who had spent much of the summer saving lives and homes from blazes that raged on hillsides in Wales. He has said that similar challenges are being posed by an “increasingly extreme climate.”
William made his trip to see firefighters and other emergency staff in the village of Treherbert, around 30 miles north-west of the capital Cardiff, on the same day he joined King Charles and Queen Camilla to mark the solemn 60th anniversary of the tragic Aberfan disaster late last month.
Talking to firefighters that day, William said this year’s summer was the first “where I’ve felt generally worried about the scale of the wildfires in the country,” the BBC reported on Tuesday, Nov. 3. “We might go again next season … it’s quite a terrifying prospect if we’re not … on the ball.”
“We need to start taking wildfires as seriously as the [rest of Europe] has done,” he added, per the BBC, while also raising the issue of a lack of “assets,” especially specialist helicopters.
The report coincided with a new video, released by the prince’s office, in which William praises the crews for their hard work through a testing summer. “This was a hell of an effort,” he told them. “Watching it, I had loads of people talking to me about the fires through the summer and where they were and on the news watching it, as well. It feels like this is something we’re going to have to live with as a country, as a world now, I feel in most cases, probably every summer.”
“But being prepared, and then knowing what we’re facing is going to be crucial. You guys did a hell of a job, ’cause you saved a lot of peoples houses, a lot of land, and thank you, lives saved as well. It was a gargantuan effort by all of you, so, well done.”
As fires raged across the continent of Europe in July, William issued a statement on the social media he shares with wife, Kate Middleton. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating wildfires across France, Spain and the UK,” he wrote, signing it his own ‘W’ initial. “We are deeply grateful to the firefighters, emergency services and volunteers working tirelessly in extraordinarily difficult conditions. These events are a stark reminder of the challenges posed by an increasingly extreme climate and the importance of protecting both people and nature.”
Prince William meets with rescue workers at the Penyrenglyn Project in Treherbert, Wales
Credit: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
In October, William spoke with the community in Skenfrith, a small village in south-east Wales, to support them as they build resilience against freak weather changes. It is an area regularly hit with severe flooding, most notably in November 2025 when Storm Claudia caused significant disruption. And later that month, he met fire crews in Ilminster, England, where the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and partner organizations are working to improve resilience against future extreme weather events.
The prince was told how rescue services are working alongside local residents and farmers to improve preparedness before the events occur, as well as how innovations in mapping and forecasting tools allow emergency services to be better prepared for weather events and other disasters.
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Prince William talking to firefighters in Treherbert, Wales on Oct. 21, 2026
Credit: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Climate change and the environment are causes close to William’s heart.
On Nov. 17, the focus of his environmental mission and concern for the planet’s challenges will center on Mumbai, India, when he takes his Earthshot Prize to the city. There, he and fellow prize committee members and ambassadors, will celebrate new ideas and innovations that are helping tackle the environmental threats to the world.
The Earthshot Prize is an environmental prize awarded to five recipients each year and was founded by William in 2020. Each of the five annual winners receive £1 million in prize money to scale their environmental solution, per the award’s website.
“For many years I was hearing stories about environment issues and one thing that struck me was the negativity and doom which got me down,” the royal said of the prizw during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show. “I thought we could do something more powerful and more optimistic and the idea of an awards’ ceremony came about and we could talk about urgency and optimism together. It’s all about getting excited.”
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