THE threat to Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms has reduced after winds changed overnight, altering the path of a major wildfire.
First Minister John Swinney has chaired a two meetings of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) after homes were evacuated amid a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park.
People in the Nethy Bridge area were evacuated as a precaution after Police Scotland declared the blaze a major incident.
It comes amid warnings that changing weather conditions, including stronger winds, have contributed to the increasingly unpredictable behaviour of the blaze.
Residents are being directed to a dedicated respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel, and access roads into Nethy Bridge have been closed.
The first meeting was held on Friday night and attended by several ministers and representatives from emergency services, including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and Police Scotland. It reconvened on Saturday morning at 7am to review the position.
“This continues to be a very serious situation. Residents, businesses and people staying in the affected areas will understandably be very worried. My thoughts are with them and I thank them for their understanding," Swinney said after the second meeting.
“With the fire changing to be in the direction of Nethy Bridge yesterday afternoon, a precautionary evacuation was put in place and a fire break was successfully established overnight to protect the village. Police officers visited all properties in Nethy Bridge and officers are in the village today to support residents.
“The wind has changed direction overnight, which means the track of the fire has altered once again and the threat to Nethy Bridge has reduced, for the moment at least. Ground and helicopter resources are being focused on the current path of the fire and new fire breaks constructed.
“This demonstrates how these situations can change very quickly and dramatically, reflecting the challenges being faced by SFRS and the other responders tackling this wildfire. It does not mean however that anyone should return to that area until they been given the go-ahead to do so. Further decisions will be taken later today by the Local Resilience Partnership and the Scottish Government Resilience Group will also reconvene.
“I remain extremely grateful to the emergency services and all those involved who are working tirelessly to control this fire and support local residents. I reiterate the message that people in the area must follow the advice of emergency services and the Cairngorms National Park - it is essential people avoid the affected areas.”
Superintendent Judy Hill 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.”
The SFRS said it has maintained a “significant operational response” since the wildfire was first reported on 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.
Deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour said: “Our firefighters, specialist resources and partners have worked tirelessly over the past nine days to respond to this challenging and complex wildfire incident.
“The combination of prolonged dry conditions, strengthening winds and challenging terrain has created an extremely complex operational environment.
“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.”
He added: “We recognise this is an extremely worrying time for those affected, particularly residents who have been asked to leave their homes. Public safety remains our absolute priority, and we ask everyone to continue following the advice of Police Scotland and to stay away from the affected areas while firefighting operations remain ongoing.”
Members of the public are asked to avoid the affected areas within the Cairngorms National Park. The SFRS said the area remains unsafe due to active firefighting operations, rapidly changing fire conditions and helicopter activity.
