Scotland's chief fire officer has called for an improved, more formal approach to wildfire prevention in order to "protect lives".

It follows a number of blazes over the summer, including a huge wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park which burned for nearly five weeks.

The blaze, which started in the Glenmore area, near Aviemore, broke out on 15 July and burned across about 10 sq miles (25 sq km) of moorland and forestry.

In an open letter, chief officer Stuart Stevens said he had commissioned a formal debrief on the incident and called for government, public services, land managers, businesses and communities to work together to reduce the growing threat of wildfires.

He described wildfires as "dynamic, unpredictable and dangerous".

He warned wildfires pose an increasing and changing risk and cannot be addressed through emergency response alone.

"It is no longer enough to view wildfire primarily as an incident to be managed once it has started," Stevens said.

"The time to fight the risk is before the smoke is in the air.

"If we are serious about protecting lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, our natural environment and the resilience of our nation, we must act now – together, with purpose, and with a long-term commitment to prevention, as well as response.

"We must increasingly view it as a national resilience issue requiring prevention, preparedness, investment and shared responsibility."

More than 500 firefighters were involved in the response to the Cairngorms fire at its height, with homes and campsites evacuated.

The national park said the "apocalyptic" blaze had killed plant life, insects and other wildlife that had not been able to escape the flames.

Police Scotland declared it a major incident and the Scottish government set up a £3m recovery fund for businesses affected.

Stevens said SFRS has already strengthened its own wildfire capability.

He said: "It is evident to me that there is much to learn from the Cairngorms incident, and to ensure we truly capture this learning we must approach this in an open, inclusive and transparent manner.

"Through our Wildfire Strategy and wider Service Delivery Review, we are continuing to develop the skills, equipment, specialist advice and operational arrangements required to respond safely and effectively.

"This includes strategically located wildfire resources, specialist equipment, tactical advisers and enhanced support for crews operating in rural and remote environments."

The SFRS added it will continue to work with agencies but a broader conversation about how Scotland manages wildfire risks in the future is needed.