Nethy Bridge stays evacuated despite wildfire shift

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-25 10:27 3 min read

Misty, dense evergreen forest on a hillside in the Scottish Highlands.

By demoduck.co.uk News Desk | Published 25 July 2026

Nethy Bridge residents must not return home yet, despite an overnight change in wind reducing the immediate wildfire threat to the village. A protective fire break has been established around the community, while reinforced ground and helicopter operations are concentrating on the fire’s altered path through Cairngorms National Park.

The Scottish Government Resilience Room met at 7am on Saturday, chaired by First Minister John Swinney. The official assessment remains that this is a serious and fast-changing incident, with further decisions expected later in the day.

Evacuation remains in force across Nethy Bridge

The precautionary evacuation began on Friday 24 July after changing winds accelerated the wildfire towards Nethy Bridge. Police Scotland had declared a major incident, and officers subsequently visited every property in the village.

Officers remain in Nethy Bridge to support residents. Although the fire is no longer moving towards the village on the same track, officials have not authorised anyone to return, and no reopening time has been confirmed.

The instruction applies to residents, businesses and people staying in affected areas. Visitors should also avoid the fire zone and follow directions from emergency responders and Cairngorms National Park authorities.

Overnight fire break strengthens village protection

A fire break around Nethy Bridge was completed overnight as the flames approached the community. Its role in the response is to provide a protective boundary while crews tackle a fire whose direction can change rapidly with the wind.

Nethy Bridge stays evacuated despite wildfire shift

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is constructing further fire breaks and deploying additional resources. Ground teams and helicopter support have been redirected towards the wildfire’s current route rather than stood down following the reduced threat to the village.

The operational changes show why the evacuation remains necessary: the wind has already shifted more than once, altering both the speed and direction of the fire. Swinney said the danger to Nethy Bridge had eased “for the moment at least”, stressing that conditions could change again.

Residents and visitors told to stay away

Police Scotland and the Scottish Government have repeated that people must follow emergency-service instructions and avoid affected areas. A reduced immediate threat does not amount to permission to enter the village or surrounding fire zone.

Access restrictions have also affected other parts of the national park. Separate coverage explains the continuing closures around Glenmore and Loch Morlich as emergency crews work across the wider incident area.

Further safety decisions due later today

The Local Resilience Partnership is expected to review conditions and make further decisions later on Saturday. The Scottish Government Resilience Room will then reconvene with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland and other responding organisations.

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth and Justice Secretary Neil Gray also attended the morning meeting. The next confirmed milestone is the later resilience review, which will assess the fire’s direction, the effectiveness of the new breaks and whether evacuation instructions can safely change.

Source: Scottish Government News

Context & actions About this article

Source check How this report was checked

This report separates the overnight change in fire direction from the evacuation and access restrictions that remain in force.

Checks

Confirmed that the Scottish Government Resilience Room met at 7am.
Checked that a fire break was established around Nethy Bridge overnight.
Confirmed that the evacuation remains in force despite the reduced immediate threat.
Identified the Local Resilience Partnership review as the next announced decision point.

Scottish Government News Check wider coverage