A mural created by Greenpeace on a blackened hillside in Capelulo, Conwy, sparked controversy among residents still recovering from recent wildfires. The artwork, measuring 1,120 square meters, depicted Prime Minister Andy Burnham holding an oil drum alongside text reading “Our house is on fire Andy” as part of a campaign opposing oil and gas drilling.
In July, wildfires affected approximately 200 acres in the region, with authorities declaring it a major incident. The flames came dangerously close to residential properties, forcing 36 homes to be evacuated. Residents were still processing the environmental damage when the mural appeared, with local hairdresser Allie Evans expressing anger at what she characterized as an intrusion into their collective grief. Evans, alongside Dean Ward, a resident of Rhos-on-Sea, took action to remove the mural using rakes, breaking up the paint and attempting to restore the mountain’s appearance.
Critics, including Welsh parliamentarian Janet Finch-Saunders, condemned the artwork as environmental vandalism, arguing that scorched landscapes should not serve as backdrops for political messaging. Residents contended that alternative methods, such as deploying a banner, could have conveyed Greenpeace’s message without directly affecting the natural environment.
Greenpeace defended its actions, stating the mural was created using water-based paint commonly applied to sports turf and was specifically designed to be temporary. The organization maintained that the artwork targeted an area where existing vegetation had already been destroyed by fire, leaving only rocks and ash. According to the group’s co-executive director Areeba Hamid, the actual threat to communities stems from climate-related extreme weather driven by fossil fuel use, not the temporary artistic intervention.
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