Wildfire warning put in place across parts of Scotland

A wildfire warning has been put in place across eastern and southern parts of Scotland.

It will remain in place from Wednesday, August 10, until Monday, August 15.

There is concern that surface fires could burn and spread with “high intensity”.

Wind speeds are expected to be light to moderate, meaning that fires could re-kindle and smoulder, making it challenging to extinguish.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has urged the public to take extra care in the countryside, with temperatures being forecast to rise.

⚠️The latest Wildfire Warning starts today, Wednesday 10 August, and lasts until Monday 15 August.

• East and South Scotland VERY HIGH

Read more here: https://t.co/zWOI7g3Jta pic.twitter.com/pPBIm47K4U
— Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (@fire_scot) August 10, 2022

Bruce Farquharson, SFRS deputy assistant chief officer, said that crews will be ready to respond to every emergency to protect communities.

He also underlined the measures that can be taken to prevent damage to the environment.

“The next six days will bring a prolonged period of high temperatures and that means the risk of wildfires breaking out increases,” he said.

“Our crews will be ready to respond to every emergency to protect our communities.

“But there are simple steps that we can all take when we are spending time outdoors to prevent vast damage to the environment and protect emergency service workers from attending avoidable incidents.

“Please exercise the utmost caution and avoid lighting fires outdoors, but if you must, check for restrictions or permissions required by the landowner and make sure you use a fire safe pit or container that can be properly extinguished before you leave.”