Cairngorms Wildfire ‘Could Take Months’ to Put Out
The wildfire that has burned across the Cairngorms for nearly a fortnight could take months to fully extinguish, fire chiefs warned, even as they reported “encouraging” progress on Tuesday evening. The blaze, declared a major incident, has scorched some 25 square kilometres of the national park and forced evacuations. A large firefighting operation continued as a fresh heatwave threatened to worsen conditions.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said crews had gained ground but that the fire, burning in deep peatland, could smoulder for a long time before it was fully out. The blaze has left swathes of the park unrecognisable and sent smoke drifting as far as Aberdeen, and has fuelled debate over Scotland’s readiness for wildfires once considered rare. The Prince of Wales called the fires a “stark reminder” of the climate challenge. With temperatures set to climb again this week, the risk of new outbreaks across tinder-dry uplands is high. Watch the containment effort and the returning heat.