Forest blaze ‘under control’ as Scottish wildfires continue

Firefighters remain at the scene of wildfires that have been burning over the weekend in parts of Scotland.

A blaze began in the Glen Trool area of the Galloway Forest Park on Thursday, which then spread to Loch Doon in East Ayrshire.

The Scottish government said the fire was now “under control”, after its resilience room met on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, in the Highlands Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews have been tackling a wildfire in Stac Pollaidh, at Inverpolly Forest near Ullapool.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance, praised emergency services for their work at the Galloway blaze.

“I am extremely grateful to all the first responders who have been working hard to control this fire,” she said.

“I am reassured to hear that so far there has been no damage to properties or mature woodland.”

Helicopters had been deployed to water-bomb the fire over the weekend.

Five groups of walkers were located on the hills on Friday night, but were moved away from the area.

A fire engine remained at the scene overnight on Sunday, while another was despatched on Monday morning.

In the Highlands, five fire engines were at the scene of the blaze on Monday and people have been advised to stay away from the area.

Rising temperatures across the UK have led to wildfire warnings being put in place for several parts of the country.

Together with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, the SFRS urged people to avoid lighting fires outdoors across all areas of Scotland.

Ms Constance added: “As we continue to see a period of warm and dry weather, it’s essential that all of us act responsibly while enjoying the outdoors so we can keep the number of wildfires at an absolute minimum.”