Firefighters have returned to the scene of a major hillside blaze on Lewis.
Fire crews were called back to the Achmore area after “small pockets of fire” were discovered on the hillside this morning.
A fire appliance from Stornoway was sent to the fire site shortly after 6am to reinspect the area.
Teams from Stornoway and Shawbost have now also returned to the scene as efforts to contain the fire recommence.
A spokeswoman said the fire had spread to cover around 100 metres of land.
Firefighters are currently using beaters, a Honda water pump and an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) to extinguish the flames.
Wildfire sparks large-scale response
Fire crews were first called to the hillside blaze, in the centre of Lewis, shortly after 1:40pm on Sunday.
The hillside blaze was burning on two fronts – each more than half a mile wide.
The A858, known locally as the Pentland Road, was closed by police between Stornoway and Achmore as appliances arrived to fight the enormous wildfire.
Day 2 at the Pentland Road fire site, outstanding efforts from all services to protect public safety, property and the environment. On a personal note, good to work on scene with you again @IainMMacleod1 #onebigteam #coastguard #jesip pic.twitter.com/7Rj4Xs72Zk
— Murdo Macaulay (@HMCGAC18) March 27, 2022
Four fire engines from Stornoway, Shawbost, Great Bernera and South Lochs attended the scene on Sunday, alongside a crew from Stornoway.
A spokesman for the fire service confirmed the blaze was a continuation of the smaller one that occurred on an Achmore hillside on Saturday, which crews left at around 4pm.
Coastguard teams from Stornoway were also providing aid.
Warning issued
On Friday, the fire service issued a wildfire warning, saying the risks of such incidents was high following a period of warm, dry weather.
Those in rural areas were urged to take particular caution to stop the fires breaking out.
Fire service group commander, Niall MacLennan said: “With rising temperatures this weekend and further dry conditions into next week, wildfires could burn and spread with very high intensity in high-risk areas.”
