Quick thinking and collaboration of local contractors helps prevent wild fire spreading in Invergarry

A team of contractors working on SSEN’s Skye Tee transmission project came to the aid of local Fire and Rescue operatives this week helping assist efforts to put out a wild fire in the Invergarry area.

The team of NorPower contractors, who were working on overhead lines in the area, met the local Fire and Rescue crew as they arrived at the incident and immediately offered their support to help the crew get to the fire before it spread further.

NorPower Managing Director, Alistair MacLeod, explains what happened. He said:

“‘We had been working to construct a new overhead line on a remote hill located between Invergarry and Fort Augustus and as we finished for the day, we came across a significant blaze which appeared to be out of control. We immediately and safely evacuated the area to the public road, where we met members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service that were responding to the blaze.

“Our teams immediately offered assistance and the use of our specialist off road vehicles to transport the firefighters and their equipment to the blaze.

“The real heroes here are the Scottish Fire and Rescue service, who put themselves in harms way dealing with dangerous incidents such as this to keep the public safe on a daily basis. I am pleased we were able to help in this situation and prevent the wild fire from spreading further.”

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager, David Leishman, praised the support of the local contractors in helping avert an even more serious situation. He said:

“I’d like to thank SSEN’s contractors, NorPower, for all their efforts in supporting our attending crews. This allowed firefighters to contain and extinguish the fire, and ultimately prevent it from spreading further and into a significantly larger area of forestry.

“By working alongside two operatives who were working on the powerlines in the area, we used an all-terrain vehicle and a 4x4 vehicle to ensure the movement of equipment and personnel over arduous terrain - which was around 500 metres and uphill.

“I’d also like to praise the commitment and determination of our crews when faced with this wildfire which covered a large area of both moorland and forestry in the Faichem area of Invergarry.

“We want people to enjoy the warmer weather we have been experiencing, but to do so safely and responsibly to avoid the risk of wildfires.”