Major incident declared and village evacuated as Cairngorms wildfire spreads

Breaking Major incident declared as Cairngorms wildfire spreads   Cairngorms Police Scotland Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Wildfires Emergency Weather Scotland 500 firefighters have been mobilised since the wildfire broke out on Wednesday last week (Image: PA) This article is brought to you , and has been written . It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Police Scotland has declared a major incident as emergency services continue to respond to the ongoing wildfire within the Cairngorms National Park. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the decision follows a "significant change" in weather conditions, with strengthening winds contributing to increased unpredictable fire behaviour and the spread of the wildfire towards Nethy Bridge. As a precaution, all residents of Nethy Bridge - around 650 people - are being evacuated. Residents are being directed to a dedicated respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel and access roads into Nethy Bridge have been closed. Police Scotland has declared a major incident as emergency services continue to respond to the ongoing wildfire within the Cairngorms National Park. As a precaution, all residents of Nethy Bridge are being evacuated. More information: https://t. co/D6FgXefvjO pic. twitter. com/NTR55cw7Zn — Police Scotland Highland & Islands (@PSOSHighland) July 24, 2026 Superintendent Judy Hill, Police Scotland, said: "The weather conditions experienced within the Cairngorms over the last 24 hours have added further complexities to this situation. With evidence suggesting the fire is spreading towards Nethy Bridge, the decision has been taken to declare a major incident and evacuate residents as a precaution. "Additional police resources are being deployed to assist in contacting those who need to leave their properties and to maintain cordons around restricted areas while our fire service colleagues continue to tackle the wildfire. "We understand this is a very concerning time for residents, businesses and visitors to the Cairngorms region. Please be assured that the multi-agency response remains fully committed to bringing this incident to a safe conclusion as quickly as possible." SFRS said it has maintained a “significant operational response” since the wildfire was first reported on Wednesday, July 15. More than 500 firefighters have tackled the blaze over the last nine days, alongside specialist wildfire appliances, all-terrain vehicles, helicopter water-bombing operations and partner agencies. The ongoing wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park (Image: SFRS) Crews have also used a high-volume pump to draw large volumes of water from Loch Morlich to support firefighting operations. SFRS said firefighters "continue to work across a vast and challenging landscape" alongside Forestry and Land Scotland, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, landowners, estate gamekeepers and emergency service partners.