Highland wildfire: Cannich blaze under control, but fire crews to stay on site until ‘safe to leave’

A giant wildfire that has been burning for several days in the Highlands has been brought under control.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the blaze, near Cannich, has now been contained, but crews would remain at the scene until it is “safe to leave”.

Five fire appliances and their teams are continuing efforts to extinguish “deep-seated” hotspots and dampen down the area.

Nine appliances were involved at the peak of the fire, aided by waterbombing helicopters and local land workers.

Two firefighters who were injured during the operation when their all-terrain vehicle crashed have now been released from hospital.

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There have been differing estimates on the scale of the fire, which first flared up last week.

Initial reports suggested around 3,000 hectares of land – mainly forest and scrub – had been engulfed, but recent satellite images indicate the razed area could be much smaller than feared.

The fire at Cannich, which broke out several days ago, has been brought under control but firefighters remain on the scene. Picture: FLS

According to Michael Bruce, managing director of Scottish training and consultancy firm Firebreak Services, pictures show 982 hectares of land has been directly affected, but the damage could stretch to 1,100 hectares if burn sites outwith the core wildfire area are included.

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Speaking to the BBC, Mr Bruce commended the work of firefighters and helpers in getting the blaze under control.

“It was a tremendous successful joint effort by SFRS and local landowners who managed to contain the fire to this size,” he said.

“It is always difficult to establish fire size quickly, with smoke and further spread happening, and the focus of the people at the scene is on tackling the fire.”