Monday August 24th 2026
Scottish Fire and Rescue (SFRS) Chief Officer Stuart Stevens
Written by Glasgow View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Scotland must take greater action to prevent and prepare for wildfires, the country’s Chief Fire Officer has warned following a series of devastating incidents at home and around the world.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Chief Officer Stuart Stevens has called for government, public services, land managers, businesses and communities to work together to reduce the risk and improve Scotland’s resilience to wildfires.
His warning comes after the prolonged wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, which had a significant impact on the local community, economy and environment.
While praising firefighters and partner agencies involved in tackling the blaze, Chief Officer Stevens said wildfire was an “increasing and evolving threat” which could not be dealt with through emergency response alone.
In an open letter, he said: “The time to fight the risk is before the smoke is in the air. The decisions we take today will determine how well-prepared Scotland is tomorrow.”
He called for greater emphasis to be placed on prevention and preparedness, including consideration of a more formal fire safety regime for wildfire prevention.
He said: “Given the risk to life, property, infrastructure and the natural environment, I believe Scotland should now consider a more formal and proportionate fire safety regime for wildfire prevention and preparedness.”
The Chief Fire Officer said there needed to be a wider national discussion about how Scotland manages wildfire risk, including clearer expectations for land managers and communities and better planning.
He added: “We must set clear expectations, improve planning, support land managers and communities, and ensure that prevention is treated as a shared priority.”
Chief Officer Stevens also paid tribute to the firefighters who responded to the Cairngorms incident, particularly those working at on-call stations.
Many of the firefighters balance their SFRS duties with other employment, family responsibilities and commitments within their communities.
He said their contribution was “vital” and that he was “indebted” to their commitment.
The Chief Fire Officer also thanked communities across the Cairngorms National Park for supporting emergency responders and partner agencies during the incident.
He said the efforts of those involved had prevented the loss of life, homes and infrastructure despite the scale of the fire.
Chief Officer Stevens said there were lessons to be learned from the incident and has commissioned several formal debriefs, including an independently facilitated review.
He said the process would allow partners, agencies and community representatives to contribute their views and ensure the lessons from the wildfire were properly captured.
SFRS continues to work with partners through the Scottish Wildfire Forum and is also working with the Scottish Government on its Wildfire Strategic Action Plan, which was launched earlier this year.
The fire service launched its own Wildfire Strategy in 2023, backed by £1.6 million of investment in specialist vehicles, equipment and training.
A tiered wildfire response is now positioned across 37 locations in Scotland, allowing specialist resources to be deployed to incidents when required.
Chief Officer Stevens said the latest incidents demonstrated the need to build on this work and ensure Scotland is better prepared for future wildfires.
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