A devastating wildfire that has been raging for days and spread across 15 square kilometres of countryside has almost been extinguished.
The blaze broke out in the Mossdale area of Dumfries and Galloway on Thursday afternoon, sending the Galloway Hills up in flames.
At its height more than 60 firefighters, ten appliances, two helicopters and various support resources were brought in to tackle the flames.
Dry conditions and high winds caused the fire to spread aggressively, affecting approximately 4000 acres of gorse, grassland and forestry.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was first mobilised to the area at 1.15pm on Thursday.
A single fire appliance remains on scene on Monday to monitor the area and check for any remaining hotspots.
Area commander Craig McGoldrick, SFRS local senior officer for Dumfries and Galloway, said: “First and foremost, I would like to highlight the efforts of our crews who worked tirelessly and professionally to contain and extinguish this fire.
“This incident was a notable example of the incredible speed that wildfires can travel when fanned by the wind in dry conditions.
“It also required a large amount of resources, from within Dumfries and Galloway and beyond, and we have called upon the resilience of our national service to tackle it.
“While the fire is largely extinguished, we will continue our presence in the area to monitor and deal with any remaining hotspots.”
The area commander thanked partners, emergency service colleagues and the local community for their support.
He added: “We have received invaluable support from our partners – this included two helicopters, from Skyhook and PDG, which worked alongside our crews to tackle the fire in difficult to reach areas.
“In addition, continued support and generosity of the local community has also been humbling, and our sincere thanks goes to them.”
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