Cairngorms wildfire: Warning another devastating blaze could happen this year
The Scottish Government is due to give MSPs an update on the wildfires that happened over the summer.
Another devastating wildfire in the Cairngorms could happen before the year is out as the ground is still a “tinderbox”.
The warning comes as Justice Secretary Neil Gray prepares to make a ministerial statement in parliament on Thursday about the various wildfires over the summer.
The last fire crew left the scene of the wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park on August 18 after spending five weeks tackling the blaze. At its height, more than 500 firefighters were involved in the response.
It began in Glenmore near Aviemore on July 15 and burned across 10 square miles of moorland and forestry. Homes in Nethy Bridge and campsites had to be evacuated.
Speaking to The Scotsman, Andrew Baxter, Lib Dem MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch said: “They are still dampening down the fire at some hotspots, but it is under control. We are in a much better position than we were two weeks ago. But it could happen again this year.
“The ground conditions are still very dry - it may look on the surface like everything is fine, but under the cover it is a tinderbox. If there are a couple of days of dry weather, then circumstances could change very quickly.”
Mr Baxter said the Cairngorms wildfire was a test of the lessons learned from the nearby Dava fire in 2025 - and one the government has “failed”.
He said: “They have failed, and they are trying to divert attention by talking about how we need to move quickly on climate change to tackle further wildfires.
“I understand that climate change is contributing to the number and severity of wildfires, but we can’t let that divert from what is a response issue.
“Adaptations to climate change will take years to come into effect, when on the ground the reports I’m getting is that the fire service is incapable at the moment due to a combination of a lack of funding and a lack of resources.
“One retainer firefighter said to me he believes the current fire service is 20 years behind in its approach to dealing with wildfires, so we are playing catch up.”
He also said that if another wildfire should happen the SNP government must be more open to asking for help from the UK Government and the military.
Laura Mitchell, SNP MSP for Moray, says she wants to see more action taken to ensure retainer firefighters have access to the right equipment and PPE.
She told The Scotsman: “Moray is no stranger to wildfires - we had the Dava fire last year and a lot of the retainer firefighters came from my constituency.
“There are definitely lessons to be learned on prevention and PPE.
“We have dedicated wildfire units with dedicated kits, but retainer firefighters don’t have the same, and if we are expecting people to be out tackling wildfires for weeks on end, we have to make sure they have the right equipment.”
However she added: “We need to make sure the response is the right one rather than the quick one.”
Sandy McCook, chair of Nethy Bridge Community Council, is now wanting Justice Secretary Neil Gray to come to the community so he can answer questions directly.
He told The Scotsman: “We are back to normal, but the landscape is not.
“The fire is out but there are still hotspots and if there is a change in the wind direction it can burst into flames again. There were a few during the tail end of last week, so we cannot be complacent and have it go back to square one.
“We certainly need to learn from this. There is sufficient political will from all the other parties to make sure this happens, so we need the Scottish Government to be willing to take this on board.”
He wants to see the government having a “complete rethink” of its rewilding and conservation strategies to make sure muirburn licences are issued and to allow estate managers to better prepare the land for extreme weather.
He also said there should be a network of helicopters on stand-by throughout the summer so wildfires can be responded to quickly.
Mr McCook said: “We are holding a meeting later this month and we are asking Neil Gray or another minister to come to it and face the public, because there is a whole lot they need to answer.
“The fire service do an excellent job when it comes to car accidents and building fires, but they are woefully equipped to deal with a fire like we had in Abernethy and Glenmore. Their equipment and training is not up to it.”
Justice Secretary Neil Gray said he is “taking every possible step” to tackle the increasing threat of wildfires, and says he has commissioned a review into the wildfire strategic action plan.
He said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service responds to wildfires wherever and whenever they occur.
“They have recorded 58 so far this year, including the very serious incident in the Cairngorms. Thankfully, most are quickly extinguished.
“Local authorities have powers to ban the use of disposable barbecues within relevant spaces. Whilst it is for Scottish ministers to approve byelaws proposed by local authorities, it is a matter for each council to decide how to manage its day-to-day business, including whether there is a need to introduce byelaws within their local areas to implement a ban on the use of barbecues at times of high risk.
“The Scottish Government has welcomed the UK Government’s measure to temporarily stop the sale of disposable barbecues across the UK given the risks they can pose to the environment, local communities and agricultural land, particularly during periods of warm and dry weather when the risk of wildfire is heightened.”
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