Oban aflame after huge wildfire breaks out behind iconic town landmarks
DRAMATIC images show Oban’s iconic landmark McCaig’s Tower lit up against a backdrop of flames as a wildfire raged above the town on Friday night.
Local resident Shane Wasik captured the blazing tower scene as 20 firefighters battled through the night to control the fire.
A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue said yesterday morning that the cause of the fire had not yet been confirmed and added: “We have just left within the last hour.
“The call came in at about 3.30pm on Friday, our crews were in attendance through the night and they went for a reinspection at 5am when it was still burning.”
Beaters, specialist knapsacks and hoses were used to get the fire under control, and it is believed firefirghters had to walk from Pennyfuir to gain access to the burning hill. A Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesman confirmed fire crews were finally able to leave the area at 7.35am yesterday.
Residents in the Longsdale Crescent area of the town voiced their concern, as the flames lit up a large area of grassland and looked nearer to homes than it actually was. The fire service spokesman said there had been no need to evacuate anyone.
Shane Wasik, who captured the scene on camera from outside his home at Pulpit Hill, Oban on Friday night, said: “My wife returned from a walk and told me there was a raging fire and it looked like lava on the hill.
“I ran out with the camera to see for myself and with the tower lit up it looked both amazing but scary, given the proximity to Oban town.
“Our viewpoint did mean that the perspective made it look closer than it was, but we just hoped the fire service would make it safe and put it out quickly.”
Meanwhile, locals shared pictures of the blaze on social media.
One Twitter user shared an image of the billowing smoke and wrote: “Just took this from my back garden, fire still raging up the back of the tower, make that about seven hours or so now.”
The Scottish Fire Service put out an earlier warning, along with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, about a very high risk of fires this week. The warning, issued on Tuesday, was in place across north-east, east and central Scotland until Saturday,
Senior officer Bruce Farquharson said: “We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.
“Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant damage.
“Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires, as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.
“These fires can also have a hugely negative impact on the environment and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
“Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is crucial that people act safely and responsibly in rural environments, and always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.”
Walkhighlands, which provides information for walkers adventuring in Scotland’s outdoors, urged people not to use fire or disposable barbecues when camping.
Issuing advice on its Twitter account (@walkhighlands) the organisation wrote: “There’s an extreme high fire risk in much of Scotland right now. Despite pics you may see, real wildcamping does not include a fire, not a disposable barbecue; they set peat soils alight even when you think extinguished and it’s impossible to leave no trace. Use stoves for cooking!”
Yesterday, another large grass fire broke out near Brodick on the Isle of Arran.