Preparing for wildfires - Learning lessons and building resilience after record breaking numbers in 2025

14th October 2025

Representatives of organisations involved in tackling the wildfires which took place across Scotland this year are coming together to reflect on how to prevent future incidents.

The event is a result of Scotland enduring the largest wildfires in living memory, with 13 wildfire alerts in Scotland this year alone and Dava in the Highlands enduring the worst damage.

It will be co-chaired by Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown in the Cairngorms National Park and attendees will include the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), NatureScot, Scottish Land and Estates, land managers and environmental organisations.

Mr Fairlie said: "It took an astonishing effort across so many sites to tackle the wildfires we saw this year, and we are grateful to all those who helped. This is a chance for us to look at what worked, and what lessons we need to learn from what happened."

Ms Brown said: "Since the wildfires, we've engaged closely with SFRS, local communities and Scottish public sector bodies on building resilience to wildfires.

"We continue to support the full implementation of the SFRS wildfire strategy, which will see the continued roll-out this year of new equipment, vehicles and Personal Protective Equipment."

SFRS Director of Prevention, Assistant Chief Officer Jon Henderson said: "This year Scotland has faced an unprecedented scale of wildfire risk, and our crews have attended more than 200 wildfires across the country.

“Wildfires can employ a significant amount of our resources, they also have the potential to burn for days and devastate vast areas of land and wildlife, threatening the welfare of nearby communities.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners, landowners and communities in both our response and importantly to help prevent wildfires, and we welcome the opportunity to participate in this summit."

Head of Land Management at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Colin McClean, said: "The Park Authority welcomes this event, which provides an opportunity for critical conversations to take place on wildfire mitigation and management.

“Alongside ministers and stakeholders, we look forward to discussing solutions for building on the work we are already doing here in the National Park.
Through our Integrated Wildfire Management Plan, the Climate Adaptation Fund and the new fire byelaw (recently approved by Scottish Ministers and coming into effect in 2026), we are putting in place clear, practical measures to reduce the risk of wildfire.
Coming together at events like this will help strengthen that work and ensure we are as prepared and resilient as possible."

A roundtable discussion with MSPs will be held following Parliamentary recess to share the findings from wildfire engagements to date and to give parliamentarians the opportunity to make contributions before any next steps.

Key facts about the Dava/Carrbridge wildfires

The fires broke out on 28 June 2025 in the Scottish Highlands, particularly around the Dava Moor area, including near Loch Allan, Carrbridge, Grantown-on-Spey, Moray and Highland regions.

Extent / size Approximately 11,800 hectares (moorland and woodland) were affected across the area including Dava and Carrbridge.

Damage - Large swathes of moorland and woodland

- Peatland burning. Even after visible flames were out, smouldering peat underground continued to pose risk.

- Wildlife, habitat and vegetation damage.

- Roads temporarily closed due to the fire and smoke: A939, A940, B9007 etc.

What made this wildfire particularly serious

Scale & size: This is one of (if not the) largest wildfires ever recorded in Scotland, in terms of area impacted.

Peatland involvement: Peat burns underground, is hard to extinguish fully, and releases significant carbon and smoke. It poses risk of re‑ignition.

Multiple fronts: The fire had at least nine separate flames / fronts that spread eastward from Loch Allan, complicating firefighting logistics.
Wikipedia

Weather / environmental conditions: Dry weather, strong winds helped the fire spread; smoke spread over wide areas. Rain eventually helped contain it.
Wikipedia
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Implications and what's being done

Policy & fire risk management
Authorities are pushing for stronger wildfire prevention measures. For example: • Seasonal bans (campfires, barbecues) in places like Cairngorm National Park.

• Use of by‑laws and restrictions in high-risk periods.
• Calls for national strategies and better land management to reduce wildfire future risk.

Land‑use & rural response resources
Landowners, estates, farmers etc played a major role in response and containment—for example, deploying specialist equipment (ATVs, fogging units, tractor‑haul equipment) and manpower.

Wildfire detection & monitoring tech
Use of drones, thermal imaging to find hotspots that might otherwise be missed, especially post‑fire when peat smouldering can persist.

Environmental impact & recovery
Damage to habitats, greenhouse gas emissions (peat burning releases stored carbon), loss of ground cover, wildlife disruption. Recovery will require land restoration, possibly reforestation, managing invasive species and erosion.