Fire extinguished at Edinburgh's Arthur's Seat as police say blaze being treated as 'not suspicious'

Fire crews have departed the scene of the devastating wildfire near Arthur’s Seat after fighting the blaze for over 24 hours.

It has been confirmed by a spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service that crews departed the scene at around 1pm on Tuesday afternoon (July 21).

The wildfire was first reported at around 6.30pm on Sunday evening, with the blaze spreading quickly causing thick black smoke to billow into the sky above Edinburgh.

Firefighters worked through the night into Monday, when the fire briefly reignited on the southern tip of the Crags.

Fire crews worked on ensuring that the fire did not spread | Iconic Media Group

Area commander David Dourley, local senior officer for Edinburgh, said: “Our crews remained on scene until today, working to extinguish remaining hotspots and dampen down the area.

“I would like to thank all of our crews for their work and our partners for their support. I would also like to thank the public for their patience and understanding.”

Mr Dourley added: “We also urge people to remain vigilant during this hot spell of weather, and to follow our advice to take care outdoors to help us avoid fires as much as possible.”

Queen’s Drive had been closed to traffic during the emergency response.

The road was closed on Sunday evening but Police Scotland confirmed that the road has reopened to traffic as of Tuesday afternoon.

The flames could be seen just metres from Queen's Drive, which was later closed as the fire escalated | Neil Pooran/PA Wire

The force also added that the fire is “not being treated as suspicious” and thanked the public for their patience during the response.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Images and videos of the wildfire were shared on social media on Sunday evening, showing the Salisbury Crags engulfed in flames and heavy smoke covering the city.

While fire crews have departed the scene, it is understood that SFRS will continue to monitor the area and will redeploy crews if required.

SFRS has also extended a ‘very high’ wildfire warning over central Highlands, southern, and eastern Scotland until Friday, July 24.

The warning had previously been in place until Monday, July 20 but was extended following the Salisbury Crags wildfire as well as an ongoing wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park.

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SFRS’s Deputy Assistant Chief Officer (DACO) Ian McMeekin said: “We’ve seen this week that wildfires and large fires in the open can have a devastating impact on the environment and they can be incredibly disruptive to communities.

“Now the very high wildfire risk warning has been extended until later this week and we must ask the people of Scotland to help us by following our advice.

“If you want to enjoy the warmer weather, or you’re spending time outdoors, please do so responsibly and take simple steps to prevent fires from starting.

“Even if a warning is not in place where you live, we ask everyone to stay vigilant.”