Fire crews have left the scene of the devastating Cairngorms wildfire after a month of battling the flames. Emergency services were first called to the blaze on heathland near Ryvoan Bothy on Wednesday, July 15, before it spread across much of Glenmore, Abernethy and Loch Morlich.
Satellite Images Reveal Devastation
New images captured by the EU Copernicus Programme have revealed the extent of the fire. In one image, taken by the Sentinel-2 satellite on July 15, a plume of smoke can be seen as the fire begins to burn. A second image, taken on August 12, shows a large brown and black scar across a once completely green landscape as the scorched ground and charred vegetation can be seen from space.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed crews finally left the scene on Monday, August 17, and the final affected area - the RSPB Abernethy Nature Reserve - will be managed by the RSPB.
Ongoing Hazards and Handover
A number of nearby homes and businesses were evacuated after the blaze broke out, and smoke from the fire reached as far as Aberdeen, around 60 miles away. Efforts to dampen down the remaining few hotspots are ongoing, and members of the public have been warned that some locations may remain hazardous due to unstable ground conditions and the risk of falling trees.
A SFRS spokesperson said: "The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) left the scene yesterday, August 17, of the wildfire which affected areas of the Cairngorms National Park. The final affected area around the RSPB Abernethy Nature Reserve was handed over to the RSPB yesterday, August 17."
Community Impact and Recovery
The spokesperson added: "While SFRS crews are no longer in attendance, RSPB teams continue to dampen down hotspots in parts of the nature reserve. Members of the public are advised that significant disruption has occurred within parts of the Cairngorms National Park and some locations may remain hazardous due to unstable ground conditions and the risk of falling trees."
"The RSPB will now monitor and maintain the affected land following its handover. The SFRS is grateful for all the support received during this complex incident, which included many public, private, and third-sector organisations and volunteers."
An RSPB spokesperson said: "This is an important milestone, made possible thanks to everyone that has worked so hard to tackle this fire. However, it will still be a while until we can safely welcome visitors back to RSPB Abernethy. Our staff are still using fire-fighting equipment to extinguish widely-scattered hotspots. In many parts of the reserve, including close to tracks, tree roots have been destroyed, so there is a risk of tree-fall which we need to make safe. We will also be using heavy machinery to undertake further work where firebreaks have been created. Until we can be certain that these areas are safe, we are asking that people follow all safety advice and signage and do not attempt to access the affected parts of the RSPB Abernethy nature reserve."
