Public urged to be aware of higher fire risk

Guy Muir and West Fraser and harvesting and wood supply manager Carol Davidson inspect the harvested timber damaged by the Cannich wildfire.

As temperatures rise and warnings are issued across Scotland, the public are being urged to be fire aware as the risk of wildfires increase.

The warning was issued by Forestry Land Scotland to mark one year since a wildfire ripped through woodland and burned for two weeks at Cannich, south of Inverness.

It also came as firefighters this week attended a fire which broke out in gorse bushes near Kirriemuir, and FLS is hig hlighting the environmental, economic and human impacts a wildfire can have.

Guy Muir, north region assistant operations manager, said: “The fire has significantly impacted the quantity, quality and value of the timber. Trees would have been left to grow for 20 years longer and produced almost double the amount of timber with the potential to produce sawmill logs, fencing and slat material. This would have given a higher yield with a higher price for the crop.

“The damaged timber will now have to be used in a type of chipboard known as oriented strand board or OSB and biofuel. It is estimated that the reduction in quality, additional harvesting costs and weight loss mean we could be looking at a reduction in value by approximately 60%.

“Even trees that appear less affected by the fire won’t survive for long. The burnt soil beneath them has been drained of nutrients meaning these trees would not last another season before too becoming deadwood.”

The scorched timber and earth across the commercial forest at Cannich, along with the scarring and damage to neighbouring land and wildlife, is testament to how easily and quickly a wildfire can take hold and become a major problem.

Mr Muir added: “We hope by reflecting on the damage and impact of the fire at Cannich, more people take note and are extremely aware of the wildfire risk.

"If you are going for a walk or planning some camping, be sensible and don’t take any risks. Don’t light campfires, don’t smoke and think twice before using a camping stove. If you really have to, make sure it’s as stable as possible, it is well away from flammable material and on a level a nd preferably fire-resistant surface.”