Firefighters have worked through the night to combat a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park that led to the evacuation of residents. The blaze began in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge, late Wednesday morning and expanded to over 3.5 kilometres wide by Thursday morning.
Evacuations and Closures
As a safety precaution, multiple homes and businesses—including campsites and ski resorts in the Glenmore Forest Park area—have been closed and evacuated. Smoke from the fire was visible for miles on Thursday morning, with at least four fire engines and additional resources deployed to tackle the blaze. No casualties have been reported.
Some locals expressed frustration that tourists continued attempting to access the area despite road closures. Mary, a local resident who did not provide her surname, stated: “The absolute selfishness of tourists – isn’t that insane? ‘There’s a fire but we still want to go to Loch Morlich’ – I think it’s just ignorance.” She added, “It’s like going to somewhere in America during tornado season. You know what you’re getting into.”
Ongoing Firefighting Efforts
Ian McMeekin, head of prevention at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), indicated that crews expect to remain at the scene for the rest of the day. Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme, he said: “We’re still fighting the fire, working with a range of different partners, with the landowners and local authorities and so on to deal with the incident. Currently we have a fire front of just roughly about three-and-a-half kilometres wide. We are reassessing the situation, and our resources may change throughout the morning.”
McMeekin emphasised the multi-agency nature of the response: “This is very much a multi-agency situation. As a precautionary measure some of the areas have been evacuated, including a campsite and some properties in close proximity. We have been working with our local resilience partners to make sure they try and support people where possible, and we’re advising people to keep an eye out for key messages coming from the partners, whether through Police Scotland or other trusted local media outlets.” He noted that it is too early to determine the fire’s cause.
Resident Experiences and Warnings
Duncan Ferguson, operations manager at the Spey Fishery Board, lives in Glenmore, a village near Aviemore. He recounted that police arrived at his house on Wednesday afternoon, instructing residents to “leave your pets and go.” The fire service has urged the public to avoid the area and advised residents in Aviemore, Glenmore, and surrounding communities to keep doors and windows closed due to smoke.
Group commander Raymond King stated: “While we want people to enjoy the good weather, we ask that anyone in the Cairngorms National Park near to Aviemore and Glenmore avoid the area. This part of the Cairngorms National Park is popular with hillwalkers, and we ask that people remain vigilant while active firefighting continues.”
Environmental Impact and Warnings
The Cairngorms National Park Authority reported that firefighters have collaborated with landowners to contain the incident and create fire breaks, though high winds have caused the fire to spread across areas of trees and woodland. A spokesperson for the authority commented: “The ongoing incident near Ryvoan Bothy is deeply concerning, and we are grateful to all those who are working to tackle the fire. We would echo the advice of SFRS to avoid the area while firefighters and partners work to bring this blaze under control. This incident – alongside wildfires we are seeing across the UK this week – serves as a stark reminder of the risks that periods of drier, hotter weather can pose.”
The blaze occurs as parts of Scotland face a very high risk of wildfire over the coming days. The SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, has issued wildfire warnings for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland. The alert, warning of a very high risk of wildfire, took effect on Wednesday and lasts until Monday, following days of hot and dry weather across many parts of the country.
