Rural Scottish Conservative representatives used a debate in Holyrood to demand that SNP ministers urgently outline what new measures they are taking to help combat wildfires in communities across Scotland.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson – who also chairs Holyrood’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee – lead the party’s response in the debate held by SNP MSP Emma Roddick.
Finlay praised the efforts of local firefighters and the community who tackled extreme blazes during April in the region but warned that SNP ministers did not do enough in advance to prepare communities for the threat posed by wildfires, which are becoming more common and more extreme.
Shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle – a Highlands and Islands MSP – also spoke in the debate, having revealed in July that there have been over 1,500 wildfires in Scotland in the last decade.
His home area of Moray was devastated by fires at the end of June, with Tim slamming SNP minister Jim Fairlie for taking three weeks to visit the affected site, saying he would have treated it as a matter of urgency if it occurred in the Central Belt.
Both Finlay and Tim are concerned that the SNP are not treating the issue as a priority and that their new muirburn licensing scheme, due to come into force in January, will only make life more difficult for land managers and those living in rural Scotland.
They say the debate must mark a “turning point” to ensuring resilience plans are in place for communities that will likely feel the effects of raging wildfiresin the coming years rather than putting them at greater risk.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson said: “The wildfires that raged across my constituency earlier this year were ferocious and my thanks go to our firefighters who spent days battling them to help keep our communities safe.
“There was a real community spirit across the region at that time with the mountain rescue doing an incredible job too and community hubs being set up to support those affected.
“However, scenes like this are only set to become more commonplace and SNP ministers need to ensure our communities are better prepared, rather than ignoring warnings.
“I was particularly appalled that John Swinney made a political point over the issue of wildfires when I raised it with him at FMQs, claiming I shouldn’t have asked him about it because I didn’t back his Budget.
“This debate must show that the SNP are taking this seriously and have proper resilience plans in place to mitigate the impact of more extreme weather. This is a timely debate, but it is one that cannot simply be a tick-box exercise for the government in response.”
Shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle MSP said: “I was shocked to see wildfires spread so vastly across Moray and the Highlands in the summer and the damage done was extensive.
“Our brave firefighters, land managers and those working in rural areas did an incredible job but many also felt abandoned. That was compounded by the responsible SNP minister taking over three weeks to visit the affected sites. That would never have happened if these wildfires took place in the Central Belt.
“I am worried that the SNP do not have a plan to try and support rural communities. Their new muirburn licensing scheme, while thankfully delayed until January will make life harder for land managers when fires start to burn.
“This debate should be a turning point in guaranteeing more measures will be put in place to tackle wildfires and give rural Scotland in particular the confidence that they will have the resources required, rather than thinking they will be at greater risk.”
