This column appears as part of the Winds of Change newsletter.

“We need education. We need more firebreaks,” said Sandy McCook, chair of Nethy Bridge Community Council. “We need leadership from the people who know how to fight it, and that is basically gamekeepers.”

Nearly two weeks ago, I visited Nethy Bridge, a village close enough to the Cairngorm wildfire’s path in July to be evacuated. McCook had become a voice for the community, “keeping the world informed” as the fire approached his home.

A former press photographer, he photographed the fire within 50 minutes of its start, when it was about the size of two tennis courts. It would ultimately cover 30 sq km. He is now calling for a "national debate" on preventing and fighting wildfires.

Nearby, at Abernethy Nature Reserve, I also visited the blackened ancient Caledonian pinewoods and scorched moorland that have become the setting for debate: over emergency response, public behaviour and whether nature-restoration approaches reduce or increase wildfire risk. Here are some of the key points.

The response to the fire. Where were the helicopters?

The fire began at about 11.50am on Wednesday, July 15, McCook said, but the first helicopter did not arrive until well over a day later. Two specialist commercial helicopters were ultimately used to waterbomb inaccessible areas.

“There were no helicopters available — which is criminal,” McCook said, calling for a Scottish system comparable to the air ambulance service, with aircraft on immediate standby.

Since then, Justice Secretary Neil Gray has said the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be able to place helicopter resources on standby and mobilise them immediately. McCook welcomed the change.

‘The fire service clearly didn’t have the resources........

© Herald Scotland