I remember the first summer I spent up in the Cairngorms, thinking the place was too damp and Scottish to ever properly burn. Turns out dry spells don't care much for local reputation. What started near Ryvoan Bothy on 15 July has turned into a proper test of nerve, with wind shifts flaring things up and pushing the fire towards Nethy Bridge. Yet instead of descending into panic or demands for new laws, what we've seen is something refreshingly old-fashioned: people getting on with the job.
More than a hundred firefighters, backed by eleven engines, specialist units, all-terrain vehicles, helicopters and drones, have been grinding away at hotspots in some properly grim, remote terrain. They put in miles of firebreaks that held when the wind gusted on the 23rd and 24th. Overnight between the 24th and 25th they threw another one around Nethy Bridge itself. The work is expected to carry on through the weekend and into next week. No fanfare, just relentless effort in conditions that would make most of us pack up and head for the pub.
Our firefighters, specialist resources and partners have worked tirelessly over the past week in challenging conditions, and we continue to make good progress. While the overall situation is improving, there are still substantial hotspots burning across a large and complex landscape. These hotspots continue to require intensive firefighting efforts, both on the ground and from the air, and crews will remain on scene into next week. We are asking members of the public to continue staying away from the affected areas while these operations remain ongoing. This allows firefighters and partners to work safely and effectively, reduces unnecessary impact on the emergency services, and helps protect the public from potential hazards.
That's Michael Humphreys, deputy assistant chief officer with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, cutting through the noise. Notice the absence of grand political gestures or calls for yet another review. Just a straight plea for the public to stay out the way so the professionals can do their work.
Police Scotland declared it a major incident on the 24th when the wind swung round and sent the flames licking towards the village. They moved quickly with a precautionary evacuation, sending residents to the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel. By the next morning the wind had changed again, easing the immediate threat, though everyone involved is at pains to say the situation stays dynamic. The Scottish Government Resilience Room reconvened to keep tabs. John Swinney, the first minister, put it plainly.
This continues to be a very serious situation. Residents, businesses and people staying in the affected areas will understandably be very worried. My thoughts are with them and I thank them for their understanding. With the fire changing to be in the direction of Nethy Bridge yesterday afternoon, a precautionary evacuation was put in place and a fire break was successfully established overnight to protect the village.... It does not mean however that anyone should return to that area until they have been given the go-ahead to do so.... I remain extremely grateful to the emergency services and all those involved who are working tirelessly to control this fire and support local residents. I reiterate the message that people in the area must follow the advice of emergency services and the Cairngorms National Park - it is essential people avoid the affected areas.
Inspector Craig Johnstone of Police Scotland struck a similar note, acknowledging the hit to communities and businesses while stressing that safety came first in every call on closures and exclusion zones. You get the sense these aren't people chasing headlines. They're managing a fast-moving, wind-driven mess in difficult country and asking the rest of us not to make it worse.
Smoke has drifted as far as Aberdeen, fifty-nine miles off, and parts of Aberdeenshire and east Aviemore, with the usual sensible advice about keeping windows shut. A raft of paths and routes stay closed: Glenmore, Loch Morlich, the Old Logging Way, Cairngorm Mountain access, Northern Corries, and plenty more besides in the Abernethy Forest. The message from emergency services has been consistent and blunt: don't wander into exclusion zones, don't ignore the closures, don't force crews to divert resources babysitting sightseers.
