Fire crew remain on scene of wildfire on Benbecula

Firefighters remain at the scene of a large wildfire on Benbecula.

The alarm was raised at 3.30pm on Wednesday and three crews from Benbecula, Lochboisdale and Lochmaddy were sent to the scene near Balivanich.

Crews battled the blaze overnight and got the incident under control by 4.21am.

At its height, the fire front spread to an area spanning 3,240ft.

• Huge wildfire on Harris

• Wildfire warning for islands

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The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

It is understood crews had to move sheep away from the site of the blaze as flames roared through the moorland.

Today one crew remains on scene to monitor the situation. The huddle of firefighters barely discernible through the thickening smoke.

The east side of Benbecula lies under a drifting pall of smoke, dimming the sun bathing the rest of the Outer Hebrides this morning.

On the hillside of Rueval, less than a mile from the island’s recycling facility Market Stance, a stiff easterly breeze fans a ragged line of flames more than 10ft in the air at times.

Drivers attempting to take the spinal route between North and South Uist would normally drive past this stretch, but have been diverted.

This area of Benbecula is sparsely populated, with no homes in immediate danger.