Hundreds of residents of Nethy Bridge were evacuated from their homes on Friday night as a wildfire that has been burning for nine days in the Cairngorms National Park was declared a major incident by Police Scotland. The force said strengthening winds had made the fire more unpredictable and were causing it to spread towards the small Strathspey village, prompting the decision to escalate the response.
All residents were directed to a respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, with access roads into Nethy Bridge closed. Superintendent Judy Hill said additional police officers were being deployed to help people leave their homes and maintain cordons around restricted areas. “We understand this is a very concerning time for residents, businesses and visitors to the Cairngorms region,” she said. “Please be assured that the multi-agency response remains fully committed to bringing this incident to a safe conclusion as quickly as possible.”
“Police declare major incident as wildfire forces evacuation of 600 from Nethy Bridge.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has deployed more than 500 firefighters since the wildfire was first reported on July 15, supported by specialist wildfire appliances, all-terrain vehicles, helicopter water-bombing operations and partner agencies. Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Kenny Barbour said firefighters, specialist resources and partner agencies had “worked tirelessly” over the past nine days to respond to the “challenging and complex wildfire”.
“The combination of prolonged dry conditions, strengthening winds and challenging terrain has created an extremely complex operational environment,” he said. “Large areas of the fire ground are inaccessible by vehicle or on foot, making helicopter water-bombing operations and specialist wildfire tactics essential to our response.” Mr Barbour thanked Forestry and Land Scotland, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, landowners, estate gamekeepers and emergency services for their local knowledge, which he said had been “invaluable” in protecting communities and the natural environment.
With the fire still burning and weather conditions expected to remain challenging, the evacuation of Nethy Bridge – a village of around 600 residents – marks a significant escalation in the response to the wildfire, which has now been burning for more than a week.