Technology and Science25 July, 20263 min read
John Swinney Requests UK Military Aerial Support as Cairngorms Wildfire Evacuates Nethy Bridge
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Request for aerial military support submitted to UK government. Nethy Bridge evacuations continue as Cairngorms wildfire burns.
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Wildfire evacuation and scale
A wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park forced evacuations around the highland village of Nethy Bridge, with the First Minister John Swinney asking for military help from the UK Government for aerial support. The Herald said the blaze had raged for the past 10 days, and that more than 500 firefighters were tackling it as it broke out near the village of Glenmore on Wednesday last week. SFRS said the area remained unsafe due to firefighting operations, rapidly changing fire conditions and helicopter activity, while residents were directed to a dedicated respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort.
Police Scotland declared a major incident as emergency services battled the wildfire, and in an update on Saturday morning it said residents in a small area of properties north-west of Dorback Lodge (Lain Thatchan) had been evacuated as a precaution. Swinney said, “A request has been made today to the UK Government for military assistance in aerial support that can be used to supplement existing resources that are being deployed to tackle the Cairngorms wildfire, and we await a response.”
Calls, quotes, and response delays
Residents and community leaders described anger and frustration over the timing of the response, with the Independent quoting Richard Eccles saying, “It’s a bit like closing the stable door now that the horse has bolted.” Eccles, who said police visited their home around 10pm on Friday, described three options presented to him and his wife Patricia, including emergency accommodation at the Macdonald hotel in Aviemore. The BBC reported that locals criticised the handling of the wildfire and said the Scottish government had been slow in scaling up the response, while Police Scotland later stood down the major incident and told residents they could return late on Saturday evening.
Sandy McCook, the Nethy Bridge community council leader, said the major incident was only decided at 22:00, adding, “It was only at 22:00 last night that that was decided.” The BBC also quoted Cabinet Secretary for Justice Neil Gray saying, “Throughout this significant incident, the government and the emergency services have given everything to ensuring that the fire is being addressed.”
Technology, equipment, and next steps
As the wildfire continued, emergency services relied on equipment and air operations, with the BBC describing “about 20 fire appliances in the village, two helicopters in the skies above and bulldozers tearing the heart out of Abernethie Forest”. McCook told the BBC that people had been doing 24-hour days on the hillside and that the fire could have been stopped, while John McGlinchey said a fixed-wing aircraft was required to deliver a greater volume of water to the hillside. The BBC reported that the government had approached the military to ask for additional helicopters having “exhausted all commercially available helicopters” but had not yet had a response, and it said two helicopters were available on Saturday with further helicopters on Sunday.
In parallel, the Scottish Government said it had established a fire break around the village overnight and was constructing new breaks as SFRS deployed additional resources, while SFRS said the area remained unsafe due to rapidly changing fire conditions and helicopter activity. The Herald added that the military was “not currently conducting any aerial firefighting operations in the area,” even as it said the request for aerial support was being awaited from the UK Government.