A wildfire warning has been set for the next six days, with the risk being “very high” across parts of Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands.
Firefighters issued the alert for the east and south of the country, which they said are most at risk as temperatures are forecast to rise this week.
The warning will stay in place until Monday, August 15.
During this time, fire crews warned flames could burn and spread with high intensity, and with wind speeds expected to be light to moderate, fires could re-kindle and be challenging to extinguish.
‘Prolonged period of high temperatures’
The advice was issued with temperatures in Aberdeen expected to peak at 25C on Thursday and reach the same maximum temperature in Glasgow across Saturday and Sunday.
Members of the public have been advised to take care when in the countryside, and to avoid lighting fires outdoors.
⚠️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, depute assistant chief officer with the fire service, said: “The next six days will bring a prolonged period of high temperatures and that means the risk of wildfires breaking out increases.
“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.”
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