Firefighters have worked through the night tackling a wildfire in the Cairngorms that led to evacuations of residents and businesses. The blaze, which started in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy near Nethy Bridge on Wednesday morning, had stretched more than 3.5km wide by Thursday morning.
Evacuations and Response
Several homes and businesses, including campsites and ski resorts in the Glenmore Forest Park area, have been closed and evacuated as a safety precaution. Four fire engines remained at the scene at 6.45am on Thursday, with no reports of casualties.
Ian McMeekin, head of prevention at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), said they expect to be at the scene for the rest of the day. He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme: “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.”
Multi-Agency Effort
McMeekin emphasised the multi-agency nature of the response: “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.” He added that it is too early to determine the cause of the fire.
Duncan Ferguson, operations manager at the Spey Fishery Board and a resident of Glenmore, said police came to his house on Wednesday afternoon, telling residents to “leave your pets and go”.
Public Advisory
The fire service has urged people 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 said: “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.”
The Cairngorms National Park Authority confirmed that firefighters have been working with landowners to contain the incident and create fire breaks, with high winds causing the fire to spread across trees and woodland. A spokesperson said: “The ongoing incident near Ryvoan Bothy is deeply concerning, and we are grateful to all those who are working to tackle the fire. 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.”
Wildfire Risk Warnings
The blaze comes as parts of Scotland face a very high risk of wildfire over the next few days. The SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, has issued wildfire warnings for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland. The alert came into force on Wednesday and lasts until Monday, following days of hot and dry weather in many parts of the country.
