Grass and gorse blaze near Macduff in Aberdeenshire could smoulder for days warn firefighters

A wildfire could smoulder for days after it engulfed an area of grass and gorse near an Aberdeenshire town.

The fire, first reported in the early hours of Monday morning, had to be extinguished again on Wednesday.

Dog walkers and other members of the public have been advised to keep clear of the Hill of Doune area.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warned residents of Macduff to close windows in their homes due to the levels of smoke.

At its height, six fire appliances and other specialist vehicles were mobilised to the scene to extinguish the blaze spread across a 600m by 200m area.

On Wednesday, at 10.18am, two appliances were mobilised back to scene after reports of flare ups in the area.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said its Operations Control in Dundee continued to receive a high number of calls about the fire in the Hill of Doune area, but residents have been assured the site will continue to be monitored.

SFRS group commander Bruce Milne said: “This was a significantly large fire which has now been extinguished, however there is a potential for it to continue to smoulder for a few days afterwards with small pockets of flames. There is currently no risk to life or property.

“We will continue to monitor the location and would advise dog walkers and other members of the public to stay away from the area for the moment.”