King Charles thanks 500 firefighters after five-week Cairngorms wildfire
King Charles III has thanked the firefighters, volunteers and landowners who tackled the major wildfire in the Cairngorms, in a statement issued on behalf of himself and Queen Camilla on 16 September 2026.
The King gave the statement during a visit to An Lochan Uaine, known as the Green Lochan, to learn about the firefighting effort. ITV News reported the visit as a moment for the King to praise all involved in fighting summer wildfires.
In his own words, he and his wife had been "appalled by the devastating impact of wildfires this summer". He pointed to the destruction to homes, livelihoods and landscapes. The palace wording was left to speak for itself.
He then expressed "admiration and appreciation" to all those who had worked tirelessly and courageously to bring the fires under control. That thanks was directed to three groups by name. Firefighters, volunteers and landowners.
The fire broke out near Aviemore on 15 July and spread across 3,300 hectares of land in Scotland. It was later identified as the Glenmore and Abernethy wildfire of July and August, which burned more than 3,300 hectares. Hello! Magazine carried the details of the area burned.
More than 500 firefighters were deployed to fight it. Homes, businesses, campsites and a ski resort were evacuated while the operation continued.
Crews and volunteers spent almost five weeks tackling the blaze. That is a long campaign by any measure.
In the same statement, the King said prolonged heat and drought are placing pressures on the Earth. He cited the need to tackle the root causes of climate change. It was a short passage in a statement focused on thanks, but he chose to include it.
The Cairngorms visit followed an earlier discussion at Balmoral. The Times reported on 5 September 2026 that the King had hosted a meeting on wildfires at the Aberdeenshire residence.
For readers picking this up fresh, the sequence is simple. A major fire burned through July and August. The King visited the ground in September and put his thanks in writing, for himself and the Queen.
