Scotland's justice secretary has denied trying start a political row after rejecting an offer of UK military support to tackle a major wildfire in the Cairngorms. The UK government said it would provide military helicopters for heavy lifting, along with support from stand-by battalions, after a major incident was declared at the weekend.
But Neil Gray said it had been unable to fulfil a "specific request" for waterbombing helicopters and that firefighters on the ground had the resources which were needed.
Nine fire engines, specialist resources and 75 firefighters remain at the scene near Nethy Bridge, 13 days after the fire broke out.
Some village residents were evacuated as a precaution at the weekend, but have since been able to return to their homes.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the situation had "improved significantly" but that the incident was still "large and complex". Some local groups have been critical of ministers for being slow in scaling up the response to the fire.
Related coverage has also included the reports 'Welcome progress' made in tackling Cairngorms wildfire and Residents allowed to return after Cairngorms wildfire evacuation.
Why did Neil Gray reject the UK offer?
When asked if he was trying to start a political row, Neil Gray said his "entire focus" was to ensure the necessary support was available to respond to "this very significant and prolonged incident".
Gray said he "heard informally" that the UK military did not have waterbombing helicopters available, which "people might be concerned to learn".
He told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast that every commercial waterbombing helicopter in the UK was scrambled over the last week.
He added: "When a major incident was called on Friday, we felt it was right to formalise that and ensure for certain that the very specific need we had for waterbombing capability was exhausted.
We are now aware that the UK does not have that military capability, and so we could not get further support or assistance."
A UK government spokesperson said it was "urgently considering what support can be provided" and that it would help however it could.
"This includes mutual aid from English Fire and Rescue Services and our National Resilience function," it said.
"We are already engaged with local teams on the ground through our permanent regional liaison officers."
Gray said his "entire focus" was to ensure the necessary support was available in the Cairngorms
Gray said it was likely that the blaze was initially caused by "human interaction" and the Scottish government would be "reviewing" its response to wildfires following the incident.
What criticism has the government faced?
Sandy McCook, chairman of Nethy Bridge Community Council, accused the Scottish government of "dithering" in its response to the fire.
He told BBC Radio Scotland that turning down the offer of UK assistance was "churlish in the extreme".
He said: "I'm very disappointed in the Scottish government's response in general.
Had we asked for UK resources a week ago, when this fire was clearly running away from the fire service, regardless of what was said by Neil Gray, we wouldn't still be here fighting it now."
McCook added: "When this fire discovered, it was described by the person who reported as the size of a small car.
We're now up to 30 square kilometres of some of Scotland's most beautiful, pristine landscapes, hugely important conservation areas, burnt to a crisp, still smouldering and still burning."
Gray said every commercially available water bombing helicopter in the UK had been deployed to the fire
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the situation on the ground had "improved significantly" thanks to rainfall overnight on Sunday and lowering wind speeds.
But Kenny Barbour, SFRS deputy assistant chief officer, said the incident remained "large and complex".
He said: "We remain content that between the SFRS and our partners, we have got sufficient personnel on the ground for us to deliver our tactical plan," he said.
The fire broke out near the village of Glenmore on 15 July, and led to residents and campsites being evacuated.
It covered about six square kilometres of heather and small trees at its height, with more than 500 firefighters involved in the response.
It has now been burning for almost two weeks within the national park.
Key Facts
- The fire broke out near Glenmore on 15 July and has burned for 13 days.
- Nine fire engines, specialist resources and 75 firefighters remain near Nethy Bridge.
- Some residents were evacuated at the weekend but have returned home.
- The blaze reached about six square kilometres at its height and involved more than 500 firefighters.
- The Scottish government says it will review its wildfire response after the incident.
Gray said his "entire focus" was to ensure the necessary support was available in the Cairngorms. He said the response had to be judged against a "very significant and prolonged incident" and that the necessary support had to be secured for the area.
Gray said every commercially available water bombing helicopter in the UK had been deployed to the fire. He said this showed the scale of the response already under way and reinforced why the UK military could not provide the specific capability requested.
