Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, has called for urgent action to address the growing threat of wildfires in Scotland during a speech at Holyrood on Thursday 18 September.
She said climate change is making fires more frequent and more severe and urged ministers and agencies to plan for the new reality.
She described a summer visit to Dava Moor where scorched ground stretched to the horizon.
“The blackened earth was a stark reminder of the climate crisis,” she said.
Burgess is pressing for better national data on wildfire causes and frequency so communities have clear information to guide prevention and evacuation plans.
“People are worried and rightly so,” she said.
She criticised short term land management practices such as muirburn when used without long term ecological aims and stressed that fire risk reduction must be rooted in nature recovery.
“Healthy ecosystems like restored peatlands, native woodlands and thriving beaver populations can help prevent and recover from wildfires,” she said.
The MSP also called for stronger support for firefighters who are facing longer seasons and tougher terrain.
She said public education and visible countryside ranger patrols can help visitors and residents make safer choices during dry spells.
With national parks introducing new fire bans, Burgess said access must remain responsible and informed rather than punitive.
She argued that clear messaging, well maintained signage and seasonal restrictions are more effective when paired with restoration of the landscapes themselves.
She urged dedicated funding so the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can investigate and publicly report the cause of every wildfire.
“It is time that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is properly resourced so they can investigate and publicly report on the cause of all wildfires,” she said.
Only then, she argued, can evidence based strategies reduce risk, protect communities and safeguard peatlands, moorland and forests.
She said Scotland’s landscapes are a national asset that demand climate smart decisions now.
Burgess ended with a call to act before next spring’s drying winds arrive.
“Let us protect our landscapes, keep communities safe and meet our climate goals.
“The time to act is now,” she said.