Firefighters were battling a major wildfire in Inverness last night.
Flames broke out at the site at Essich Road, Torbreck, around 5pm and seven appliances were called to the scene.
Crews battled for more than four-and-a-half hours to bring the blaze – which was being fuelled by the wind – under control, with two roads closed off to allow them access.
At one point, the flames completely surrounded a pylon, with electrical engineers on standby in case it collapsed.
It is the third wildfire in the area in as many weeks, and it destroyed several acres of grassland.
One onlooker said: “This is the third fire here in as many weeks. The last two were nearer the roadside, but this one is further back.
“There are a lot of fire appliances here as well as the police and an ambulance is here too.
“If the wind had changed direction the fire might have affected some houses, but at the moment I think the firefighters are concerned as there are woods not far away.
“There is also a power station about a mile off.”
Another bystander said that several acres were completely destroyed by the blaze.
He added: “The fire seems to be covering a lot of ground and I think around two acres are all black and look as though they have been completely destroyed.
“You can see the smoke from quite far away and the flames too.”
Police closed off two roads – the B861 Inverarnie to Inverness road and the unclassified Essich to Dunlichity stretch – to allow the emergency crews into the area.
A fire service spokeswoman said: “Seven appliances were at the scene. Not all are fire engines, some are four wheel drive vehicles and a water carrier has been called in.
“It appears that the wind is fanning the flames.”
An earlier grass fire at North Kessock was extinguished around teatime yesterday.
Four appliances attended the blaze and firefighters put out the flames using backpacks and jet water hoses.
And last week a huge wildfire came perilously close to homes on the Black Isle with dozens of firefighters battling on into the night to keep it at bay.
Forty firefighters spent hours fighting the hillside blaze near Kilmuir on Tuesday. A large plume of smoke could be seen from Inverness and around the Moray Firth area as a result.
No homeowners were forced to evacuate – but the flames came within metres of at least two detached homes.
Crews from Inverness, Nairn, Drumnadrochit and Beauly attended and used main jets, hosereel jets and beaters to tackle the fire. They were later joined by an Argocat specialist wildfire unit from Inverness.