Wildfire alert: People in Falkirk district urged to take extra care as fire service raise alert to ‘very high’

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s warning for eastern and southern areas of Scotland has been raised to ‘very high’ from now until Friday.

Parts of the highlighted are are forecast to reach temperatures of more than 30°C – and people who live, work or are visiting rural areas, in particular, are being urged to exercise the utmost caution to avoid fires breaking out.

Bruce Farquharson, deputy assistant chief officer with SFRS, said: “In a prolonged period of high temperatures, the risk of wildfires breaking out increases.

"At this time of year, the ground vegetation is a combination of green growth, with a relatively high moisture content, and dead vegetation lying on top which can easily ignite and spread quickly over a large area.

“Weather patterns this week show that eastern and southern Scotland are at ‘very high’ risk of wildfires but, with sensible precautions, the public can play a crucial part in prevention.

“Taking some simple steps can prevent vast damage to the environment and protect emergency service workers from attending avoidable incidents.”He urged members of the public to avoid lighting fires outdoors.

He added: “We need people to be aware of how quickly things can get out of hand - the smallest outdoor ignition can spread rapidly and burn for days.

“Therefore, we are asking people to act responsibly when enjoying the outdoors and please think twice before using anything involving a naked flame."