Highland Wildfire Response CIC

Highland Wildfire Response (HWR) is a non-profit community interest company created to protect people, land and livelihoods across the Scottish Highlands from the growing risk of wildfires.

Wildfires are no longer rare or exceptional events. Longer dry spells, heavy fuel loads and changing land use mean that a single spark can quickly become a major incident. In a place like the Highlands, with vast landscapes, limited access and long response times, that risk is amplified.

When fires break out in remote areas, our neighbours are often the first on scene. Farmers, gamekeepers, forestry workers and land managers regularly step forward to help, often at great personal risk with no insurance or PPE. At the same time, statutory emergency services are stretched across huge geographies and are not designed to provide early intervention or landscape-scale wildfire prevention in rural settings.

Highland Wildfire Response exists to close that gap.

Inspired by the mountain rescue model, HWR is building trained, insured and properly equipped volunteer wildfire response units rooted in local communities. These units are designed to act early, support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service when required, and help communities prepare for wildfire risk before incidents occur.

This is not about replacing emergency services. It is about strengthening community resilience, formalising what already happens informally, and making sure those in our rural communities who do step forward to help are fully equipped, trained, protected and insured.

At its core, Highland Wildfire Response is about people looking after their place. It is about giving communities the tools and structure they need to protect the communities they live and work in, now and for the future.