Scottish First Minister requests UK military aerial support for Cairngorms wildfire

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney has requested military aerial support from the UK Government to help tackle the Cairngorms wildfire, now in its 11th day. A major incident remains in place, and residents have been evacuated from Nethy Bridge.

The Scottish Government formally asked the UK Government for military assistance to fight the wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, following a further meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room on Saturday, chaired by Swinney.

First Minister's Statement

The First Minister said:

“The latest update I received on the situation in the Cairngorms shows an improved picture, however, as we have already seen, events can change very quickly due to the weather conditions. I would like to again thank the fire service, police and local partners for their efforts. This remains a major and serious incident, so it is still extremely important that people follow the advice of emergency services and the Cairngorms National Park – it is essential people avoid the affected areas for safety reasons and to allow responders to focus on tackling the wildfire.

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A request has been made today to the UK Government for military assistance in aerial support that can be used to supplement existing resources that are being deployed to tackle the Cairngorms wildfire and we await a response.”

Meeting Attendees and Progress

The Resilience Room meeting was attended by:

• Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth
• Justice Secretary Neil Gray
• Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin
• Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn
• Representatives from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Police Scotland
• Highland Council
• Cairngorms National Park Authority

The fire service reported positive progress in tackling the blaze while continuing to take preventative measures to stop its spread. Air support is being prioritised for areas where it is of most benefit.

Fire Timeline and Impact

• Outbreak date: Wednesday, 15 July
• Current status: 11th day of firefighting efforts
• Key development: A sudden shift in weather brought stronger winds, causing unpredictable flare-ups and pushing the fire towards properties and woodland in Strathnethy, home to approximately 600 residents.
• Evacuations: A major incident was declared, and many residents were evacuated from Nethy Bridge overnight due to the danger from approaching flames.

Military Assistance Request

According to local reporting, the first calls for military airborne assistance were made to the Scottish Government by community leaders in Badenoch and Strathspey within 48 hours of the outbreak. The formal request has now been submitted days later. A response from the UK Government is awaited.

Requests of this kind are made under Military Aid to the Civil Authorities, the standing arrangement through which the armed forces can support civilian responders during emergencies when the required capability is not otherwise available. Aerial firefighting support typically involves helicopters fitted with underslung buckets to drop water on terrain that ground crews cannot easily reach—a capability previously provided for wildfire and flooding responses in the UK.

Image: Tim Williams, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons