Skip to content

Firefighters warning as wildfires hit in dry weather

BBC Burnt vegetation and undergrowth. Trees and bushes can be seen further from the camera. It is a dry, clear day. BBC
Gorse was set alight in a deliberate fire in Banchory

Firefighters have warned of an "extreme" risk of wildfires across all areas of Scotland over the next week.

It comes as crews tackled a large blaze in the Kilpatrick Hills near Glasgow on Tuesday, while gorse was set alight in a deliberate fire in Banchory, Aberdeenshire.

It is the third wildfire warning issued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) this year as the weather gets warmer and drier.

The public has been urged to avoid lighting any fires outdoors until next week.

Alamy Orange flames on a dark hill with grey smoke billowing from them.Alamy
A wildfire took hold in the Kilpatrick Hills near Glasgow on Tuesday

Fire crews were previously called to a wildfire in the Kilpatrick Hills less than two weeks ago on Thursday 20 March.

Group Commander Garry Douglas told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the area was particularly vulnerable.

He said: "Hills are prone to wildfires because the fire can spread far quicker uphill than on flatter ground.

"In these valleys you can get areas of micro-climates, where the sun's drying out the fuel and that allows the fire to spread."

In Banchory fire crews were called out to the gorse fire between 16:00 and 18:30 on Tuesday. There were no injuries and the fire was extinguished.

Mr Douglas warned that there was typically a large volume of "dead, bone-dry vegetation across large areas of countryside" at this time of year which acts as a fuel for fire.

EFFIS A graphic says "Wildfire danger assessment: Very high to extreme, all areas of Scotland". It shows a map of Scotland which is labelled Wednesday 2 April. This map shows south, north east and some western coastal areas of Scotland to have a very high or extreme risk of wildfires. Another map, labelled Monday 7 April, shows almost all of Scotland covered by an extreme warning for wildfires, with a stronger warning from the central belt and down.EFFIS

Mr Douglas said: "Wildfires are extremely difficult to deal with because they can be so unpredictable with the weather.

"In the morning we generally have calm weather, but as the temperature and the wind picks up throughout the day, fires can start to spread and we get more fuel sources drying out.

"They can spread onto farms, harm wildlife and be a high risk to the public as well."

He added: "Human behaviour is the cause of most wildfires in Scotland, so it is imperative we all act responsibly while enjoying the outdoors, especially over the coming days of predicted sunshine."

Temperatures hit as high as 20C on Monday, making it the warmest day of the year so far in Scotland.

April has seen a dry and sunny start but the temperatures are expected to fall slightly at the weekend for slightly more mild weather.