Drivers had a narrow escape on Skye at the weekend when flames from a wildfire engulfed the road they were travelling down.
Councillor John Finlayson was on the A87 main road to Portree at Moll on Friday afternoon when he came upon a fire engine ahead and traffic queuing both sides of it.
Although he could see smoke and fire on the hill in the distance, Mr Finlayson said at that point there was no hint of imminent danger.
He said: “Then I saw the cars in front of me starting to move off, so I assumed they were letting us through, but it wasn’t, they were obviously seeing the fire coming towards them.
Car filled up with smoke
“Then I saw a fireman running towards us and having to dive off the road towards the shore, and the flames coming really close.
“I took the car to the other side of the road, and it had filled up with smoke by then, I couldn’t see anything.
“Then I was conscious that the flames were right beside me, if I’d had a passenger in the car they would have been able to roll down the window and touch them.
“But fortunately because the road acted as the firebreak, and because it was so dry, it burned everything up to the road in dramatic ten seconds and then tailed off.”
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Mr Finlayson was surprised to find his car undamaged by the incident although full of smoke and covered in ash.
“But it shows you how frightening and powerful fire is,” he said. “The local crofters are upset because the fire has destroyed a stretch of new fencing.
“Whoever started it was very irresponsible considering the wind direction that day and the possibility it would head for the road.”
Portree police are appealing for information about this incident- call on 101 quoting incident number 1442 of February 12.
Mr Finlayson praised the efforts of all the firefighters involved in fighting the three day spate of fires.
They came from Portree, Uig, Staffin and Dunvegan, Broadford, Kyle and Glenelg and attended dozens of blazes all over the island.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said all the wildfires in the Highlands and islands were extinguished as of Sunday morning.
