Residents fear drink-fuelled partygoers are going to start a huge forest fire in acres of Moray woodland.
They believe the popular Crannoch area has become a ticking timebomb after trees and undergrowth were set alight for the fourth time in the space of two months.
The woods – on the Seafield Estate near Cullen – provide forest trails for families and dog walkers.
But they have also become the setting for late-night bonfire parties and community leaders believe the forest is now at risk of “devastation”.
Brit Souter was out walking with her daughter Kirsty yesterday when she discovered a black pit between three charred trees, surrounded by broken glass and beer cans.
She said: “It is just shocking. There are occasional areas where people don’t pick up their litter, but this is extreme vandalism because it could have set the whole woods alight.”
George Wilson added: “I walk with my grandchild up here and it’s getting worse.
“The magnitude of these fires has got totally out of hand now with these bonfires and drinking parties all over the wood.
“This wood was harvested about five years ago, and it is just full of brushwood.
“It would only take the slightest gust to set it off and it would be utter devastation if a fire took hold.
“It is an iconic beauty spot. They come from miles around to go through this wood.
“It is total irresponsibility by the people that are doing this.
“We, the people of Cullen, are privileged to have such a lovely woodland walk on our doorsteps, so we much protect that.”
Jim Wilson, of Portknockie, walks the Crannoch Wood daily with his dog Chester.
He said he had found the remains of four separate blazes in the woods in the last two months.
He said: “It is so dangerous, especially if you have had a really dry spell.
“They are using huge tree trunks to start the fires, some of them must be 12ft long.
“Whoever is doing this camps out overnight and has a right good booze-up.
“It just takes one fire to get out of control and the whole wood would be away.
Last night, Keith and Cullen councillor Ron Shepherd said: “This is absolutely crazy. It should be commonsense for people not to start fires in wooded areas.
“The ground in there is so peaty, it would not take much for the whole place to go up.
“If the Crannoch went up in flames, it would be catastrophic. There is such a lot of wildlife in there, and not only that, so many local people frequent the woods, their lives could be at risk.
“That wood is a cornerstone of the community in and around Cullen, and we must highlight this problem.
“I would urge local residents to remain vigilant to safeguard our wood, report any incidents they may discover and stamp out this business once and for all.”