Save the Deveron Valley

Rural resilience: prepare together, protect the valley

Practical preparation for fire, severe weather, power cuts, water interruption and blocked roads.

Thinking through a few practical steps can reduce confusion and help rural communities respond safely. This is preparation, not an expectation of the worst.

Emergency: move to safety and call 999 If you see a wildfire or there is immediate danger, move away from fire, smoke and vegetation. Call 999 and follow the emergency services. Do not try to fight the fire or travel towards it.

Important note: This page is general community preparedness guidance, not emergency-service, medical or professional advice. In an emergency, always follow the instructions of the emergency services. If you have specific medical, mobility or care needs, speak to your GP, care provider or local authority.

One clear next step

Tiny

Save 999, 105 and your utility emergency numbers in your phone.

Steady

Put medication information, a charger, torch and emergency contacts together in one place.

Together

Agree one simple household or neighbour contact plan, using consent and official registers rather than public lists.

Orient: know what is happening

Use official information first.

Follow Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warnings and Wildfire Danger Assessments.
Call 105 free of charge to report a power cut or obtain restoration information.
Check Scottish Water service updates if your water supply is interrupted.
Keep a battery or wind-up radio available in case mobile and internet services fail.
Know more than one route out of your area, while recognising that rural alternatives may be narrow, untreated or unsuitable during flooding, snow or heavy traffic.

Keep key numbers, contacts and route notes on paper as well as in your phone. Avoid circulating unverified locations, evacuation claims or emergency instructions. One accurate update is more useful than ten alarming rumours.

Protect: reduce risk before an incident

When a Wildfire Danger Assessment is in place, or during prolonged dry weather, do not light outdoor fires. Do not use barbecues on flammable surfaces; use safe designated areas instead. Fully extinguish cigarettes and take litter home. Land managers and rural businesses can include current fire risk and escape arrangements in staff and contractor briefings.

Longer-term protection also matters. Restoring degraded peatland and retaining water in the landscape can improve resilience, but no single land-management measure removes wildfire risk. Roads, bridges, water supplies, communications and emergency access should be considered together when major infrastructure is planned.

Conservation and community safety are connected. Both depend on understanding how water, soils, vegetation, roads, homes and working land fit together.

Connect: make support official and consent-based

With consent, agree how you will contact the people you rely on and what help can realistically be offered. That may include family, neighbours, carers, farmers, community groups or local businesses.

Protect people’s privacy. Do not create or circulate informal public lists of “vulnerable households”. They can become inaccurate, expose private information and place responsibility on people who are not equipped to manage it.

Use official services instead:

Join the Priority Services Register when you need extra support because of disability, illness, age, communication needs or a temporary change in circumstances.
Check each relevant provider. Your electricity supplier, network operator, gas provider and Scottish Water may hold separate registrations; do not assume one form covers every service.
Use a nominated trusted person where a supplier allows someone else to receive communications.
People with suitable skills or equipment can explore the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Community Asset Register. Volunteers act only when asked and under the instructions given. Never self-deploy to a wildfire.

Prepare: build what your household needs

A useful emergency kit does not need to be bought all at once.

Ready Scotland recommends tailoring it to who lives with you, where you live and any health, disability or access needs. Start with what you already have. A household kit may include:

a torch, radio, spare batteries and phone power banks;
essential medication, prescriptions, medical information, first aid and hygiene supplies;
water and food that does not need cooking, fits dietary needs and will keep safely;
blankets and warm clothing;
copies of important documents;
spare glasses, hearing-aid batteries and mobility equipment;
pencil, paper, communication cards, tactile or large-print information;
supplies for pets and assistance animals.

Build a small leave-home bag around your health, access, household and local risks. People in rented homes or small spaces can use one compact waterproof bag rather than trying to store a large emergency cupboard.

Keep a basic kit in the car for rural travel: warm clothing, blanket, torch, charger, first aid, food, water, map and high-visibility clothing. Farmers and animal keepers may also need a separate, realistic livestock contact and care plan.

Respond: follow the emergency services

During a wildfire or other major incident:

if you discover a wildfire, move away from fire, smoke and vegetation, call 999 and do not try to fight it;
follow instructions from the emergency services and local authorities;
do not enter closed areas or travel towards a fire to watch, photograph or help;
keep roads and access points clear for emergency vehicles;
take medication, mobility aids, communication tools and essential documents when leaving;
check on others only when it is safe and within your capacity;
conserve phone battery and use short, factual messages;
never assume that a social-media post is an official evacuation instruction.

Recover and regenerate: support the days after

Recovery begins with safety, rest and accurate information. Check health and access needs first. Photograph damage only when safe, keep receipts and note important calls. Exhaustion, distress and sensory overload may arrive after the danger has passed.

Community recovery can include practical help, support for displaced animals and livestock, reopening routes and services, and restoring damaged habitats. Longer-term recovery should ask what made the incident worse and what would make the valley safer next time.

Preparedness is not panic. It is care made practical.

Official sources and further help

Checked against the official sources above on 3 August 2026. Advice and links can change; use the latest emergency-service instructions during an incident.