Amelia DaviesFamilies forced from their homes and holidays by the Cairngorms wildfire this week face a second, quieter battle in the days ahead: the insurance claims, refund requests and liability questions that follow any large-scale evacuation. Emergency services were still tackling a blaze covering roughly six kilometres near Glenmore in the Cairngorms National Park on 16 July 2026, a day after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed homes, businesses, the Glenmore Campsite and Cairngorm Mountain Resort had been cleared as a precaution.
The fire, first reported around 11.50am on Wednesday 15 July near Ryvoan Bothy, spread through deep heather and young trees amid a "very high risk" wildfire warning covering southern and eastern Scotland until Monday. Forestry and Land Scotland confirmed the blaze reached nationally important Caledonian pinewood, according to STV News and the Press and Journal.
For the people evacuated, the immediate danger is only part of the story. Here is what a solicitor would want you to know about your rights before you sign anything or accept a first offer.
Home and contents insurance: what a wildfire claim covers
Standard buildings and contents policies in the UK almost always cover fire damage, including damage caused by wildfires and smoke. That protection usually extends to the cost of alternative accommodation if your home is uninhabitable, a benefit often listed as "loss of rent" or "additional living expenses" in the policy schedule.
The practical difficulty is proof and process. Insurers can ask for evidence of what was lost, and in a fast evacuation few people photograph their belongings on the way out. A solicitor or a regulated loss assessor will typically advise you to document everything now: keep receipts for hotels, fuel and replacement essentials, photograph any smoke damage before cleaning, and avoid throwing away damaged items until the insurer has inspected them.
If your insurer delays, undervalues the claim or refuses to pay, you are not without recourse. The Financial Ombudsman Service, the UK's statutory dispute body, can review the decision for free once you have exhausted the insurer's own complaints process. Its published guidance on buildings and contents insurance complaints sets out how it weighs disputes over fire and evacuation claims.
Cancelled campsites and holidays: your refund rights
The Glenmore Campsite and nearby visitor facilities were evacuated mid-stay, and many families had paid in advance for pitches, cabins or self-catering lets. Consumer law here is clearer than many holidaymakers assume.
Where a business cannot provide the accommodation it was contracted to supply, the customer is generally entitled to a refund for the nights they could not use. That principle applies even when the cause is outside the operator's control, because the operator has failed to deliver the service that was paid for. Travel insurance may also cover unrecoverable costs, and some policies include cover for enforced evacuation by the authorities.
The grey area is compensation beyond the refund itself, such as the cost of finding last-minute alternative accommodation. That depends on the booking terms and, for package holidays, on the Package Travel Regulations. A short consultation with a consumer-law solicitor can quickly establish whether you are owed only a refund or something more.
Who is liable if the fire spreads to your property?
Scotland sees a rising number of wildfires each dry spell, and questions of blame follow close behind. In law, liability for a fire that spreads to a neighbour's land or property usually turns on negligence: was the fire started deliberately, carelessly, or through a failure to take reasonable care, such as an unattended barbecue or campfire during a fire warning?
Establishing who started a wildfire on open moorland is often impossible, which means most affected households will recover through their own insurance rather than by pursuing a third party. But where a source can be identified, an injured party may have a civil claim. Landowners and farmers, some of whom told the Strathspey Herald it was "time for a rethink" on land management, may also face questions about muirburn and fire-break duties. These are fact-heavy disputes where early legal advice protects your position.
Employees and lost income
Workers at evacuated businesses and the closed mountain resort face lost shifts and uncertain pay. Whether you are entitled to wages during an enforced closure depends on your contract and employment status. Employees on guaranteed-hours contracts generally have stronger protection than casual or zero-hours staff. If an employer withholds pay you believe is due, an employment solicitor or an advice service can assess whether a deduction was lawful before matters escalate.
What to do now
If you have been affected by the Cairngorms wildfire, take five practical steps. First, keep every receipt linked to the evacuation. Second, photograph any damage before you clean or discard anything. Third, notify your home and travel insurers promptly, as most policies impose reporting deadlines. Fourth, request refunds in writing from any accommodation provider, citing the enforced evacuation. Fifth, if a claim is refused or an offer looks low, seek advice before accepting it.
A qualified solicitor can review your policy wording, challenge an unfair settlement and advise on any liability claim, often at no cost for an initial assessment. In the aftermath of a disaster the first offer is rarely the best one, and the households who understand their rights are the ones who recover what they are actually owed.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice on your specific circumstances, consult a qualified solicitor.
