Rain brings hope of relief for crews fighting Cairngorms wildfire
Firefighters and volunteers in the Cairngorms are receiving relief from a two-week-long wildfire due to heavy rainfall. While the fire is being brought under control, authorities continue to advise the public to avoid affected areas.
Why it matters
Wildfires in peatland and woodland areas are difficult to extinguish and pose significant risks to local communities and ecosystems.
Image source, Ronan Dugan/WildLand Ltd Image caption, Firefighters and volunteers have been tackling the wildfire after it broke out on 15 July
There is hope that heavy rainfall will help efforts to tackle a wildfire that has been burning in the Cairngorms for two weeks.
About 70 firefighters and nine fire appliances remain at the scene, 13 days after the start of the fire that has burned through about 10 sq miles (25 sq km) - and saw some homes in Nethy Bridge evacuated at the weekend .
Sandy McCook, Nethy Bridge Community Council chairman, said it was hoped rain that has been falling since Monday night would make a "huge difference".
The Cairngorm National Park Authority (CNPA) said progress was being made in tackling the wildfire, but added helicopters would likely continue to water bomb hotspots on Tuesday.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in