Cairngorms National Park wildfire prompts major incident declaration and evacuation of Nethy Bridge

A wildfire that ignited on 15 July near Ryvoan Bothy, south of the village of Nethy Bridge in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, intensified after a sudden change in wind direction. Police Scotland declared a major incident and ordered the precautionary evacuation of all Nethy Bridge residents (about 650 people) to a respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel, while closing access roads.

More than 500 firefighters, specialist wildfire appliances, all‑terrain vehicles and helicopters have been deployed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and partner agencies. Firebreaks, drones and water‑bombing helicopters are being used to contain the blaze that has burned several square kilometres of heathland and pinewood.

First Minister John Swinney chaired an emergency meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room, thanking responders and confirming continued multi‑agency coordination. The fire remains unpredictable, with hotspots still present; the public has been urged to stay away from the affected area. Scottish Conservatives have called for an emergency Holyrood recall, accusing the government of inaction, but the incident remains classified as a major emergency rather than a national disaster.

The situation is expected to continue into the coming days as crews work to fully extinguish the fire and lift evacuation orders.