It could take months for the Cairngorms wildfire to be fully extinguished, authorities have warned, as the blaze continues to devastate the national park. Swathes of the landscape are unrecognisable after 12 days of what residents have described as a 'cataclysmic' fire, the worst the park has ever seen.
Massive damage to rare forest
Hectares of blackened land were visible as low cloud cleared on Sunday, with smoke billowing from large areas still ablaze. The fire has claimed parts of the Caledonian pinewood forest, including Scots pine trees up to 300 years old. However, most of the older forest was saved by fire breaks bulldozed in the early days of the fire.
Ian Allsopp, Forestry and Land Scotland planning manager for the north region, said: 'For rare habitat loss, it really is a challenge.' Larger animals like deer likely escaped, but smaller mammals, lizards, insects, and ground-nesting birds would have perished.
Worst fire in park's history
Grant Moir, chief executive of the Cairngorms national park, told the Guardian it was the worst fire the park had seen. 'The fact that this is right in the centre of the Cairngorms, in the actual Cairngorm mountains and Abernethy – it is such a precious place,' he said.
A national park bylaw introduced in April bans campfires and barbecues over summer to reduce ignition points. The cause of this fire remains unknown, but the vast majority of UK wildfires have a human origin, such as a discarded cigarette or glass bottle.
Evacuations and community impact
Police Scotland said on Saturday night it was no longer treating the fire as a major incident. However, anxiety remains high, especially after residents of Nethy Bridge were evacuated on Friday night when strong winds fanned the flames. They have since been allowed to return home.
Sandy McCook, a retired press photographer from Nethy Bridge, described the flames on Friday as 'cataclysmic.' He showed the Guardian a photo of the wildfire when it was only the size of a tennis court, expressing anger that it could have been prevented. 'Had we had a helicopter there on government contract to deal with such incidents, that fire could have been dealt with within two hours of it being reported,' he said.
Firefighting efforts and calls for resources
Three private helicopters have been contracted to assist, depositing approximately 750,000 litres of water per day on hotspots. Allsopp said it was 'so lucky' the companies could help water-bomb what he called an 'inferno.' The Cairngorms area is 'extremely challenging,' with steep mountains and forest, making access difficult.
On Monday, the Scottish Green party called for publicly available firefighting aircraft during wildfire season, saying Scotland 'cannot continue to rely on a patchwork of private operators and borrowed resources.' This followed the UK government offering military support on Sunday but stating it had no access to specialist firefighting helicopters requested by the Scottish government.
Ongoing operation and weather concerns
Firefighters said an 'intensive operation' was still under way, but better weather conditions, including heavy rain and low winds, had slowed the fire. More than 75 firefighters remained at the scene, the Scottish fire and rescue service said on Sunday.
Light rain has brought some relief, but everyone on the ground is anxious about more dry weather. 'Wet weather is not enough to put out the fire on its own,' said Allsopp. Helicopter water-bombing is needed 'for days and days and days' to contain it.
The operation involves Forestry and Land Scotland, the national park authority, police, fire service, RSPB, Highland Council, and other partners, with assistance from the Scottish and UK governments. Allsopp praised the collaboration: 'Even our accountants are here, running errands and getting water and sun cream for people. At times, it has been completely overwhelming and we've been struggling to keep up. It feels like a war strategy.'
