Emergency services have declared a major incident as crews continue to respond to a wildfire that has been burning in the Cairngorms National Park for 10 days, BBC News reports.
Some residents in Nethy Bridge have been evacuated as a precaution after evidence on Friday night indicated the fire was moving towards the village. Police Scotland said access roads into the village had been closed, with residents directed to a respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel.
The Scottish government said a fire break had been put in place around Nethy Bridge overnight and that further fire breaks were being built. First Minister John Swinney said extra police and fire service resources were being deployed to support the evacuation, and urged people to stay away from affected areas.
Mr Swinney said an overnight change in wind direction had again altered the course of the fire, reducing the immediate threat to Nethy Bridge “for the moment at least”. He said ground crews and helicopter resources were being focused on the fire’s current route.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said properties north-west of Dorback Lodge at Lain Thatchan had also been evacuated. People in Tomintoul were advised to keep windows and doors closed because of smoke, which BBC News reported could be seen as far away as Aberdeen following the wind shift.
Local residents quoted by the BBC criticised the response. Richard Eccles, who runs a guest house in Nethy Bridge with his wife Patricia, said police had visited on Friday night and offered residents options including staying, going to family or friends, or using emergency accommodation in Aviemore. He said the major incident should have been declared earlier.
Another resident, John McGlinchey, said he was disappointed that people were being asked to move at short notice, and raised concern for elderly and disabled residents in the village.
Andrew Bowie, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and the Conservative shadow secretary of state for Scotland, said more constituents had contacted him with concerns. In a letter to Scottish government minister Gillian Martin, he claimed the SNP-led government had not treated the situation with sufficient seriousness. He also raised the issue of the fire service’s access to helicopter support.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has said the wildfire has been properly resourced from the beginning. More than 100 firefighters have been involved in tackling the blaze, which began near Ryvoan Bothy, south of Nethy Bridge, last Wednesday. At its height, it covered about six square kilometres of heather and small trees.
Eleven fire engines, wildfire units and a command support unit remain at the scene. The fire service said the incident remained dynamic and unpredictable, with changing wind conditions able to cause flare-ups, reignition and smoke to spread. Crews continue to be supported by helicopter water-bombing operations.
