Firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the Cairngorms that has spread over 3.5 kilometers and burned approximately 300 hectares, prompting evacuations of homes, campsites, and ski resorts. The blaze began in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge, late Wednesday morning and intensified overnight, creating an orange glow visible across the national park.
Fire Spread and Response
By Thursday morning, the fire front stretched more than 3.5 kilometers wide, according to Ian McMeekin, head of prevention at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Four fire engines remained at the scene as of 6:45 a.m., with crews working through the night. McMeekin told BBC Radio Scotland's Breakfast programme: "We’re still fighting the fire, working with a range of different partners... Currently we have a fire front of just roughly about three and a half kilometres wide." He added that resources may change throughout the morning.
The fire broke out at the boundary of the Loch Garten nature reserve, managed by RSPB Scotland. The charity reported that 27 staff and volunteers are using quad bikes, backpack hoses, pumps, leaf blowers, fire beaters, and shovels to contain smouldering areas. However, they urgently need helicopter support, which is currently deployed to wildfires in England and Wales. An RSPB Scotland spokesman stated: "We have no helicopter support, as we believe they are all deployed to England and Wales fighting wildfires down there. This is critical and we need it urgently to bring the fire under control."
Evacuations and Local Impact
As a precautionary measure, authorities evacuated a campsite and several properties in close proximity to the fire. Duncan Ferguson, a resident of Glenmore near Aviemore, said police arrived at his house in the afternoon telling residents to "leave your pets and go." Ferguson, operations manager at the Spey Fishery Board, noted that a nearby campsite had not yet been evacuated. He expressed concern: "It’s going to be bad, it’s going to be major unless they get hold of it. It’s heathland at the minute, but it’s started to burn in the upper area of the regeneration of the Caledonian pine forest. Once it comes down into there, it’s dry, dry ground, with a real load to burn. It’s just going to get hotter and hotter."
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service expects to be at the scene for the rest of the day, working with local authorities, landowners, and other partners. Smoke from the fire was visible for miles around the site on Thursday morning. Residents are advised to monitor key messages from Police Scotland and trusted local media outlets.
