Wester Ross wildfires in spotlight as past devastation recalled; Balmacara Estate and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service team up over awareness-raiser
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MEMBERS of a Wester Ross community are working together to try and minimise the risk of potentially devastating wildfires – with devastation from past years and its impact recalled to hammer home the point.
Representatives from the National Trust for Scotland’s Balmacara Estate and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have been working with local estates and schools on a series of educational events to raise awareness of the risks of wildfires at the start of the season when the risk is highest.
Ross-shire has witnessed many serious blazes down the years and thoughts have this year been concentrated by the devastation wrought across Australia by uncontrollable wildfires there.
Staff and students from the crofting course at Plockton High School attended a workshop hosted at The Steadings Gallery in Balmacara Square. The event, organised by Gavin Skipper, the ranger at Balmacara Estate, and Martin Benson, community safety advocate with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, involved a number of presentations and talks.
Iain Turnbull, property manager at Balmacara Estate and Rule Anderson, ranger at Kintail and Morvich, both from the National Trust for Scotland, gave their perspective on wildfires that affected Balmacara Estate in 2018 and Kintail in 2011.
Andrew Slaughter, estate manager at Inverinate Estate, talked about the Muirburn Code and explained how they carry out controlled burning to improve grazing opportunities.
The students and a number of group leaders went into the moorland heath of Balmacara Estate to conduct a survey on an area hit by a large wildfire in 2018.
Five local primary schools were visited when images and props to highlight the major issues around wildfires were shown.
More than 150 pupils and staff attended the presentations at Kyleakin, Kyle, Plockton, Auchtertyre and Loch Duich primary schools. On the back of their talk it’s hoped that pupils will create artwork and posters that can be placed on community noticeboards and in local shops raising awareness about wildfires in the local area.
The example of Australia, where wildfires have had a devastating effect were highlighted. It has been estimated that a billion animals have died and a fifth of Australia’s forest has been destroyed in the 2020 fires.
The message was that taking preventative action can help people in the north-west Highlands to mitigate the risk of wildfires to local communities and valuable habitats.
Wester Ross Wildfire Awareness Week is a series of events across the region organised by a collaboration of local groups, ranger services and the Wester Ross Biosphere culminating in a conference co-hosted by the Highland Environment Forum.
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