Cairngorm residents say wildfire response 'too slow'
Residents of the Cairngorms are criticizing the Scottish government's delayed response to a wildfire that has burned for 10 days. While a major incident was eventually declared, locals argue that earlier intervention could have prevented the fire from spreading to the village of Nethy Bridge.
Why it matters
The incident highlights tensions between local communities and government authorities regarding emergency management and disaster response protocols.
Image caption, Sandy McCook said a major incident should have been declared sooner
People living in the Cairngorms have criticised the handling of a wildfire that has been burning for 10 days.
Residents were evacuated on Friday night after a change in weather sparked fears the blaze was moving towards the village of Nethy Bridge and a major incident was declared.
But locals said the move came too late, and that the Scottish government had been slow in scaling up the response to the incident.
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Neil Gray, said: "Throughout this significant incident, the government and the emergency services have given everything to ensuring that the fire is being addressed."
The fire was declared a major incident on Friday, but Nethy Bridge community council leader Sandy McCook said they had been calling for that "for over a week now".
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