People will get the chance to air their views about the catastrophic wildfire in the Cairngorms at a public meeting tonight.

Hosted by Cairngorms Crofters and Farmers Community with support from the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC), the meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the response to the recent fires in Strathspey, hear different perspectives and consider what can be done to improve fire prevention, preparedness and resilience across the Cairngorms and wider Highlands.

Dignitaries in attendance will be Minister for Agriculture, Marine & the Islands, Jim Fairlie MSP, Andrew Baxter MSP, Tim Eagle MSP and Graham Leadbitter MSP among others.

The meeting takes place in Spey Valley Cinema, Aviemore on Friday, 18th September from 6.30pm. All are welcome to go along and have their say.

Cairngorms National Park, near Aviemore, burned for nearly three weeks after a wildfire ignited on July 15 destroying thousands of acres of moor and woodland around the Glenmore Forest and Loch Morlich.

Ancient Caledonian Pine Forests were burnt along with the forest’s next generation of young trees and wildlife and habitats suffered.

Helicopter waterbombing continued into August where hotspots had been detected.
 
The fire had come at the height of the tourist season and the incident had forced the closure of walking routes and some attractions. Accommodation providers, cafes and activity businesses faced prolonged disruption and homes in Nethy Bridge, a campsite and properties in Glenmore had to be evacuated temporarily.

Highland Council said it was working with the Scottish government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and other organisations to assess the economic impact.

Locals to their say on Cairngorms wildfire response at public meeting

Meanwhile, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is calling for collective action to strengthen Scotland’s wildfire prevention and preparedness following a series of devastating incidents at home and across the world.

Chief Officer Stuart Stevens warns that wildfire prevention and preparedness must become a national priority.

He believes Scotland must place greater emphasis on prevention and preparedness, warning that wildfire is an increasing and evolving threat that cannot be addressed through emergency response alone.

In an open letter, Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “The time to fight the risk is before the smoke is in the air. The decisions we take today will determine how well-prepared Scotland is tomorrow.

“If we are serious about protecting lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, our natural environment and the resilience of our nation, we must act now – together, with purpose, and with a long-term commitment to prevention, as well as response.”

He added: “Given the risk to life, property, infrastructure and the natural environment, I believe Scotland should now consider a more formal and proportionate fire safety regime for wildfire prevention and preparedness.

“We need a broader national conversation about how Scotland manages this risk in the years ahead.

“The built environment has long been subject to clear expectations around fire safety. As wildfire risk grows, we must ask whether our approach to the natural and rural environment is sufficiently clear, consistent and preventative.

“We must set clear expectations, improve planning, support land managers and communities, and ensure that prevention is treated as a shared priority.”