Emergency services and ministers met in Scotland’s Resilience Room after a moorland wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park forced precautionary evacuations and road closures around Nethy Bridge. The blaze, first reported on Wednesday, was declared a major incident by Police Scotland as shifting winds complicated fire-fighting operations.
Evacuations and local support
Residents of the Nethy Bridge area were asked to leave their homes and directed to a respite centre established at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel. Access roads into the village were closed while police and fire crews worked to protect properties and identify people who might need extra assistance.
- Respite centre: Macdonald Aviemore Hotel
- Incident status: Major incident declared by Police Scotland
- Agencies involved: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland and Scottish Government representatives
Government and emergency response
First Minister John Swinney chaired the Resilience Room meeting, which included ministers and emergency-service representatives. He confirmed that fire resources were concentrating on creating fire breaks and that police support had been increased to manage evacuations and cordons. The resilience group planned to reconvene as the situation evolved.
“SFRS resources are focussed on creating a fire break and additional police resources are being deployed to assist with the evacuation, including identifying vulnerable residents who may need extra support,”
Superintendent Judy Hill underlined the impact of changing weather over the previous 24 hours, saying that wind behaviour had added complexity and that there was evidence the fire was moving towards Nethy Bridge — a factor behind the decision to evacuate.
Smoke and wider disruption
Changing wind conditions have carried smoke from the wildfire as far as Aberdeen, highlighting the scale of the incident and potential air-quality concerns for communities downwind. Police and fire services stressed that the multi-agency response remained committed to bringing the incident to a safe conclusion as quickly as possible.
| When | Key action |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | Fire first reported |
| Saturday evening | SGORR chaired by First Minister; major incident declared |
Locals are advised to follow official guidance, avoid the restricted areas and expect further updates from emergency services as they work to contain the blaze.
