Does Scotland have the 'game changer' helicopters it needs to fight wildfires?

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Does Scotland have the 'game changer' helicopters it needs to fight wildfires? Image caption, Firefighters can direct specialist helicopters to drop a tonne of water to help extinguish firesByPaul Hastie and Kevin Keane, Scotland environment correspondentPublished20 July 2026Updated 50 minutes agoA devastating wildfire burning in the Cairngorms has entered its seventh day, as helicopters battle to stop the spread of the flames. Two specialist helicopters have been "invaluable" for waterbombing hard-to-reach areas, the Cairngorms National Park Authority says.

But the flames were allowed to torch the landscape for nearly two days before they arrived on the scene around Glenmore Forest Park. There's been vocal frustration from some local people, who believe the wildfire might have been brought under control if specialist air support had been called in sooner. Do Scotland's firefighters have the aerial resources they need to tackle the growing threat of wildfires?

The Details

When will a helicopter be called to a wildfire? The official line from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is that the Cairngorms wildfire has been "appropriately resourced" from the start, with more than 100 firefighters involved. They have also been helped by an army of gamekeepers, estate workers and volunteers from neighbouring estates.

The blaze started near Ryvoan Bothy, south of Nethy Bridge, last Wednesday and by the weekend the response was scaled up to include six fire engines, two all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and a Wildfire Support Unit alongside the two helicopters. But unlike the rest of these vehicles, the SFRS has no direct access to firefighting helicopters. Image source, Scottish Fire and Rescue ServiceImage caption, The Cairngorms wildfire has been burning since Wednesday last weekThere are also only a small number of private companies with the helicopters and specialist equipment needed, as well as the pilots with the skills to fight the fires.

These aircraft can only be called in after approval by the fire service incident commander, and when the landowner has "contractual arrangements" in place to cover the costs. On private land, this might require negotiations with insurance companies about whether a helicopter is necessary and whether the policy will cover the costs. On public land, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland or NatureScot, costs of a helicopter callout would come out of the agency's funds.

What Experts Say

Who decides when to call in a helicopter? The SFRS says that any request for helicopter support is a "multi-agency decision" which should be made at the "discretion of the incident commander" and their professional assessment of the fire. Agencies involved might typically include Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish government agency NatureScot, and private owners or land managers in the area under threat.

RSPB Scotland described the arrival of a helicopter as a "game changer" at its Loch Garten reserve in the Cairngorms last week.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.