Cairngorms Wildfire Declared a Major Incident as a Village Flees
A large wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park was declared a major incident by police on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and an entire village near Nethy Bridge. Fire crews battled the blaze into the afternoon amid tinder-dry conditions and a summer of record heat. Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, called it a “very serious situation”.
Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service mounted a large response as smoke drifted across the Highlands, with residents told to leave their homes and roads closed. The fire is among a spate of blazes across a Britain that has endured its driest spring on record and repeated heatwaves, mirroring the far larger catastrophe unfolding in France and Spain. Conservationists warn that the Cairngorms’ rare peatlands and wildlife are acutely vulnerable to fire. With more hot weather forecast, the risk across upland Britain is rising. Watch the containment effort and any spread near populated areas.