A large wildfire in Scotland's Cairngorms National Park has spread smoke to Aberdeen, a distance of about 97 miles, prompting advisories for residents to keep doors and windows closed. The fire, which is now in its tenth day, has seen a "major flare-up" in areas including Mam Suim, Craig nan Gall, and Strath Nethy.
The wind shift to a more westerly direction has been driving the fire eastward, according to Sandy McCook, chairman of the Nethy Community Council. He described the situation as having a "huge impact in the village" with residents feeling "on edge" and uncertain due to conflicting information from different agencies. McCook also expressed a need for more air support and suggested that the government could have declared a state of emergency or critical incident to allow for the use of military assets.
The Cairngorms National Park, which spans 1,748 square miles, encompasses parts of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland, Moray, and Perth & Kinross. Several paths and routes within the park have been closed or restricted, including those around Glenmore, Loch Morlich, Badaguish, the Old Logging Way, and access routes to Cairngorm Mountain, the Northern Corries, Meall A' Bhuachaille, the Green Loch, Strath Nethy, and Bynack More. Paths in Abernethy Forest south of Forest Lodge towards Ryvoan Bothy also remain closed.
McCook stated he felt "sick to the pit of his stomach" about the ongoing situation. The fire's intensity and spread have been exacerbated by increased wind activity.
