Image by Dave Maric
Scotland’s wildfire season last year was the most severe that has been recorded – with 241 wildfire incidents recorded in 2025 by The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Fast forward to the 15th of July this year, an extreme wildfire started in the Cairngorms. Burning for over a month, the fire spread to more than 25 square kilometres, causing intense damage across the national park, disrupting local business with residents forced to evacuate and destroying important habitats for wildlife.
Scotland has experienced an increase in both the number and extent of wildfires in recent years, and changing climate conditions are contributing to the growing threat. Higher temperatures and extended periods of limited rainfall, especially during the spring months, can cause the soil and vegetation to become increasingly dry. This creates conditions where fires are more easily started and can spread faster.
Wetlands are vital as firebreaks and provide reservoirs for fire fighting. As wetland engineers beavers are nature’s experts at wetland creation with skills evolved over millions of years. They also maintain their dams throughout the severest of droughts, and provide their experience & labour free of charge.
Images by Dave Maric
This is one reason that Scotland needs to restore beavers urgently in all possible waterways as a crucial part of a national strategy to reduce, and where possible prevent, a repeat of these devastating wildfires. Coexistence with beavers in many situations is easy but in some places it calls for a little ingenuity.
However when it comes to hot dry summers like this we can’t afford not to coexist with them, so a range of techniques and approaches need to be applied. This includes changes to the agricultural subsidy system to reward beaver coexistence and wetland establishment.
Below are some links with more information on the Cairngorms wildfire:
Cairngorms wildfire: why public education on fire risk and long-term investment in resilience are vital https://www.rewild.scot/news-and-blog/rewilding-news/statement-cairngorms-wildfire-why-public-education-on-fire-risk-and-long-term-investment-in-resilience-are-vital/
Scotland’s fire chief calls for better wildfire planning to ‘protect lives’
