Warning of wildfire risk as temperatures rise

Rising temperatures have prompted a warning of the potential for wildfires across Scotland as the country looks set for a spell of dry, warm weather.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service( S FR S) said the warning was in place across the country until Friday. Temperatures are expected to rise above 20C during the week. A forecast map show san increased danger of wildfires in parts of Aberdeen shire, Moray and the Highlands as well as western Fife and the central belt.

The warning has been prompted by a series of severe wild fires in April, in cluding a blaze in Moray that was described as one of the largest wildfires seen in the UK in years.

That fire burned for several days near Paul’s Hill wind farm at Knockando, south west of Elgin, and destroyed more than 20 square miles of grassland.

Dry conditions and high winds caused the flames to spread aggressively and at its height 80 firefighters were tackling the blaze.

Last month also saw a large wildfire spread rapidly across five square miles of forestry in Skye.

At its height, about 40 fire - fighters and eight fire appliances were in attendance at the incident at Edinbane wind farm near Struan.