Agriculture minister accused of being ‘in hiding’ after Strathspey wildfires
Scotland’s agriculture minister Jim Fairlie has been accused of ‘being in hiding’ after taking almost three weeks to visit the scene of the Scotland’s biggest ever wildfires.
Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle said it is ‘disgraceful’ that Mr Fairlie has taken so long to visit the region following the massive blazes near Carrbridge, Grantown and Dava.
The minister is travelling to the strath tomorrow to see the devastation for himself.
His visit will mark 20 days since the fires on the moors and woodland were first reported to the police on Saturday, June 28.
The blazes re-ignited several times and while most are now out, small pockets continue to burn.
Mr Fairlie’s delayed visit follows criticism of the Scottish Government for not activating its resilience room during the blaze, amid repeated calls from Scottish Land and Estates, as well as Mr Eagle and fellow Scottish Conservative Douglas Ross MSP.
Combined, the wildfires at the end of last month are believed to have been the largest ever in Scotland.
Mr Eagle, Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary, said he has already been to the fire-hit areas several times in recent weeks.
He commented: “It’s disgraceful it has taken Jim Fairlie 20 days to come up to Carrbridge to witness the devastation and destruction caused by the recent wildfires.
“Throughout these incidents, Scotland’s agriculture minister has been in hiding as firefighters, gamekeepers, estate owners, farmers, and volunteers worked round-the-clock to extinguish one of the biggest wildfires this country has ever seen.
“This is yet another example of the Highlands and Islands being treated as an afterthought by the SNP government, at a time when the minister should have visited the area immediately.
“During his visit, Jim Fairlie must heed warnings about the importance of supporting community resilience by providing the fire service with the resources it needs so rural Scotland is equipped to deal with these wildfires.
“Scotland can’t be set ablaze due to government inaction which is why it’s vital that immediate solutions are found to help prevent the frequency and spread of these dangerous outbreaks.”
Mr Fairlie responded to the Strathy: “The Scottish Government has been in continual and close contact with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other responders over the course of the recent wildfires to carefully monitor the situation and stay updated.
“During this time, I have had discussions with various stakeholders, including at the Game Fair in Scone on Friday 4 July.
“I agreed that I would visit and meet with local responders once the situation was under control when it would not be a distraction from their incredible efforts to take control of these fires.
“I am extremely grateful to the SFRS, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, and others for their hard work and dedication in fighting these fires, and for taking the time to meet with me this week to reflect on that experience and lessons we can learn for future incidents.”
