Scottish wildfire forces evacuation of Cairngorms village

Police Scotland ordered residents of Nethy Bridge to leave their homes on Friday night because a wildfire was moving toward the village. The fire started in Cairngorms National Park on Wednesday, 15 July, and had been burning for over a week. Changing wind conditions caused it to spread in a new direction. More than 500 firefighters were sent to fight the blaze, and police declared a major incident. Access roads into the village were closed. Residents who left were directed to a respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel. Before the evacuation, many people reported seeing large clouds of smoke nearby. Some residents said they felt the order came too late, given that the fire had already been burning for several days.