FIREBALL HORROR
Man, 54, catches fire on a hillside and dies later in hospital
AN ESTATE worker is believed to have died after his clothes caught fire while he was burning heather on a hill in the Borders.
The 54-year-old man was at Crichness Law – in the Lammermuir Hills, near the village of Cranshaws – when the horror incident happened on Monday afternoon.
It is unclear how his clothes caught fire but it is understood he may have been removing old heather.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the rural spot and the injured worker was airlifted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. However, he died in hospital yesterday. A police spokeswoman said the man’s family had been made aware of the tragedy. She added the Health and Safety Executive had also been informed.
The spokeswoman said: “At about 4.20pm on Monday,
March 22, a 54-year-old man was working on an estate in the Lammermuir Hills, Cranshaws, when his clothing caught fire.
“Emergency services attended and he was taken by air ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he died. His family are aware and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and HSE has been informed.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We were called at 4.21pm on Monday, March 22 to assist our emergency service partners at Crichness Law, Cranshaws, Lammermuir, Scottish Borders.
“Operations control mobilised three appliances and crews assisted a person in difficulty.
“One other casualty was supported by the Scottish Ambulance Service at the scene.”
The Border Search and Rescue Unit was also involved in evacuating the man. It posted on Facebook: “BSARU were called out as part of a multi-agency response for a casualty evacuation. The casualty was airlifted to hospital by helicopter.”