Residents of Nethy Bridge were told they could return home on Saturday night after a wildfire that has scorched the Cairngorms National Park for 10 days was declared no longer an immediate threat. Police Scotland stood down the major incident declaration following a detailed assessment by emergency responders, allowing the village of around 700 people to come back after being evacuated on Friday.
The decision came as locals voiced anger over the handling of the blaze, with community council leader Sandy McCook saying too many decisions had been “taken from Edinburgh”. Resident John McGlinchey also criticised the delay in declaring a major incident, which the force finally did on Friday as strong, dry winds whipped the unpredictable fire towards homes. Evacuees had been housed at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort.
“Nethy Bridge residents return home after Cairngorms wildfire major incident stood down following 10-day blaze.”
“The extensive work carried out over recent days, including the creation of effective fire breaks, has significantly reduced the risk to nearby communities,” said Police Scotland’s deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour. Supt Judy Hill stressed that the multi-agency response remained a “high priority”, with 75 firefighters still on the ground on Saturday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reported “good progress” in strengthening fire breaks and said the number of hot spots was reducing.
First Minister John Swinney welcomed the lifting of the evacuation but insisted the government and emergency services would “continue to treat this wildfire with the utmost seriousness until the last flames are out”. A smoky haze from the fire drifted as far as Aberdeen, triggering a public health advisory for areas including Tomintoul, Aviemore and Banchory, with residents told to keep windows and doors closed.
The Cairngorms fire is one of several blazes affecting Europe this summer. In France, 270,000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde region as flames threaten Bordeaux, with British tourists describing their escape. David Morton, on holiday on the Cap Ferret peninsula, said: “The flames were higher than full-size forest pine trees, so five or six storeys high. We literally threw everything into our suitcases and within 15 minutes were in the hire car.” Zac Morrison, 21, from London, added: “We had the gendarmerie going door to door – it was something like out of a movie.” The Spanish government has declared a national emergency amid its own wildfires.
Back in Scotland, fire crews continued to battle remaining hot spots. A 2025 study cited by fire services says the burning of fossil fuels has doubled the chance of wildfires compared with the preindustrial period, and climate change is lengthening the fire season well into summer.