Hansard

I am here today to update the Parliament on the outcomes of the recent ministerial wildfire summit, which was held on 14 October in Grantown-on-Spey. The summit was a culmination of a series of engagements, including the Scottish multi-agency resilience training and exercise unit debrief, the ministerial debrief with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and cross-public sector meetings on wildfires. Those events reflect the seriousness with which the Government treats the growing threat of wildfires across Scotland.

This year, Scotland has experienced its most severe wildfire season in recent memory. So far this year, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has recorded a total of 241 wildfire incidents. There was a sharp spike in activity in April, with 109 recorded in that month alone. The fires between 28 June and 2 July were described as the largest in living memory, with flames reaching 20m in length and jumping up to 750m.

Those incidents underscore the scale of the challenge that we face. Wildfires are no longer a seasonal hazard; they are a climate-driven crisis that is placing immense pressure on our rural communities, our emergency services and the natural environment. They devastate landscapes, threaten people’s homes and businesses, threaten biodiversity, damage critical infrastructure and release vast amounts of carbon.

Scotland’s rural terrain, which is rich in biodiversity and extensive peatlands and woodlands, makes us uniquely vulnerable. When those landscapes burn, that undoes years of climate progress in a matter of hours. However, when restored and managed properly, they can act as powerful carbon sinks and natural firebreaks.

Land managers and gamekeepers are on the front line of wildfire prevention and response. We owe them a debt of gratitude for the valuable role that they have always played in controlling wildfires. Their intimate knowledge of the land and terrain remains crucial. That is why we must strike a balance that recognises their expertise, supports sustainable practices and enables them to work in partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Controlled burning, when done responsibly, plays a vital role in creating firebreaks and reducing fuel loads. To that end, we have delayed until September 2026 the implementation of the muirburn licensing scheme. That decision reflects our commitment to ensuring that gamekeepers and land managers can continue to manage land appropriately in light of increased wildfire risk. The licensing scheme will help us to build a stronger evidence base, improve safety and reduce the risk of damaging effects. We are also reviewing land management plans and considering stronger requirements for wildfire mitigation, including guidance for both public and private landowners.

The wildfire summit and associated meetings identified several key themes and actions. However, it is clear that prevention must come first. There is strong support for a wildfire warning system, similar to flood and storm alerts. That would improve public understanding and preparedness. A national campaign will be explored, using behavioural science and lessons from Covid-19 communications to tailor messaging for different audiences.

We will look to develop Scotland-specific fire risk models, moving away from reliance on Canadian data. That includes integrating wildfire layers into the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s community risk index model. We are also evaluating the unintended consequences of alternative land management practices that may increase fire risk to determine how those policies can better align to Scotland’s increasing wildfire risk.

We must strengthen our preparedness. A gap in multi-agency training was identified. We will work with the Scottish multi-agency resilience training and exercising unit to develop a national table-top exercise and to improve preparedness in a truly collaborative way across all agencies. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has invested £1.6 million in wildfire response assets, including personal protective equipment, all-terrain vehicles, fogging units and drones. Further investment is currently being considered. We are exploring a mountain rescue-style voluntary response model, with trained wildfire wardens to support local efforts.

We must enhance co-ordination. A shared concept of operations will be developed to clarify roles and responsibilities across agencies, supported by the Scottish Government resilience room, local resilience partnerships and regional resilience partnerships. We are reviewing helicopter access protocols, including through exploration of the potential for a central budget, contractual arrangements and a trump card approach to ensure that public sector needs are prioritised.

Improvements are needed in communication, interoperability and improved command and control arrangements across large-scale incidents. We will strengthen co-ordination and ensure that all responders understand their roles, including through priority communications with affected residents and those who may be at risk in a wildfire event.

We must empower communities and volunteers. The community asset register remains a vital tool to help us achieve that, so we will look into what is required to expand its use and to overcome barriers to adding new assets and volunteers. Landowners and land managers conducting muirburn must notify the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service before and after burns to ensure full situational awareness.

We must address issues around insurance and liability. We are working to overcome barriers related to insurance coverage for wildfire response. That includes clarifying liability and ensuring that responders are not penalised for taking action. We recognise the financial impact that wildfires are having on rural businesses, so we are providing grant funding of up to £10,000 through the Cairngorms National Park Authority to replace damaged equipment.

We are committed to ensuring that emergency services and land managers are properly resourced. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service strategy includes continued investment in training and upskilling, and we will support that through policy and funding alignment. The Scottish Government has increased the service’s annual budget to £412.2 million for 2026, which is an increase of more than £19 million since 2017.

The summit concluded with a clear mandate for action, and the following steps are now under way. We will finalise the Scottish multi-agency resilience training and exercising unit debrief, and we will publish its recommendations in full. We will develop a collaborative outline proposal to consolidate actions and to guide future strategy. We will review legislation, including national byelaws and fire-related product restrictions. We will continue to engage with land managers, insurers, emergency services and all key partners involved to refine our approach. We will also hold a round table with MSPs on 18 November so that they can share their views with us.

Let me take a moment to thank the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, gamekeepers, land managers, volunteers, local authorities, the wider land management sector and local communities. Their efforts in tackling this year’s wildfires have been nothing short of heroic.

The Government is committed to working with our rural communities to tackle the very real wildfire threat that is facing us. Through the right planning, the right investment and the right leadership, we will build a more resilient Scotland. We will continue to listen, to learn and to act. I look forward to updating Parliament on our progress in the months ahead.