Firefighters are battling a major grass fire in Inverness tonight .
Flames broke out at the site at Essich Road, Torbreck, around 5pm and seven appliances were called to the scene.
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.
It is the third wildfire in the area in as many weeks, and it destroyed several acres of grassland.
At one point, the flames surrounded a pylon – prompting fears the heat may cause it to collapse.
A fire service spokeswoman said earlier: “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.”
From around 12.50pm, three crews were at the scene keeping a watching brief.
An earlier grass fire at North Kessock was extinguished around teatime.
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.
