Cairngorms Fire Burns On as Another Scottish Village Flees
The Cairngorms wildfire burned into its thirteenth day, now covering some 25 square kilometres, though firefighters reported “encouraging” progress. Elsewhere in Scotland, nearly a hundred households were evacuated from the former mining village of Coalsnaughton, in Clackmannanshire, as a separate blaze took hold. The government said it would help those forced from their homes.
The Cairngorms fire, which has left swathes of the national park unrecognisable and sent smoke as far as Aberdeen, was downgraded from a major incident as crews gained ground, though a large operation continued. The Coalsnaughton evacuation underlined how the tinder-dry conditions have spread the wildfire risk across Scotland, once a country where such fires were rare. The Prince of Wales called the blazes a “stark reminder” of the climate challenge. With a fresh heatwave arriving, the threat of new outbreaks is acute. Watch the containment of both fires and the strain on Scotland’s emergency services.