FIREFIGHTERS have worked through the night tackling a wildfire which has led to the evacuation of residents in the Cairngorms.
The wildfire started in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge, late on Wednesday morning and stretched 3.5 kilometres wide by Thursday morning.
A number of homes and businesses, including campsites and ski resorts in the Glenmore Forest Park area, have been closed and evacuated as a safety precaution.
Firefighters worked through the night tackling the blaze, and four fire engines remained at the scene at 6.45am on Thursday.
There have been no reports of any casualties.
Duncan Ferguson lives in Glenmore, a village near Aviemore.
Ferguson, operations manager at the Spey Fishery Board, said police came to his house during the afternoon, telling residents to “leave your pets and go”.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) urged people to avoid the area and has also advised residents in Aviemore, Glenmore and the surrounding communities to keep their doors and windows closed due to the smoke.
Group commander Raymond King said: “While we want people to enjoy the good weather, we ask that anyone in the Cairngorms National Park near to Aviemore and Glenmore avoid the area.
“This part of the Cairngorms National Park is popular with hillwalkers, and we ask that people remain vigilant while active firefighting continues.”
Cairngorms National Park Authority said that firefighters have been working with landowners to contain the incident and create fire breaks, with high winds causing the fire to spread across areas of trees and woodland.
A spokesperson for the Cairngorms National Park Authority said: “The ongoing incident near Ryvoan Bothy is deeply concerning, and we are grateful to all those who are working to tackle the fire.
“We would echo the advice of SFRS to avoid the area while firefighters and partners work to bring this blaze under control.
“This incident – alongside wildfires we are seeing across the UK this week – serves as a stark reminder of the risks that periods of drier, hotter weather can pose.”
The blaze comes while parts of Scotland are at very high risk of wildfire over the next few days.
The SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, has issued wildfire warnings for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland.
The alert, warning of a very high risk of wildfire, came into force on Wednesday and lasts until Monday.
It follows days of hot and dry weather in many parts of the country
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