Edinburgh and Lothians at ‘extreme risk of wildfire’ with public told to ‘avoid outdoor fires’
Edinburgh and the Lothians are facing ‘a very high to extreme risk of wildfire’ over the next five days according the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
The ‘extreme risk’ warning, which covers the majority of the central belt and southern Scotland, is in place from Wednesday, April 2 until Monday, April 7. Edinburgh and the Lothians are forecast to have warm weather for the next week with temperatures reaching as high as 16C.
The public are being urged to avoid lighting any outdoor fires during this time period with the SFRS adding ‘most wildfires are caused by human activity’ – with discarded cigarettes and unattended campfires being some of the most common causes.
Residents should also take caution when visiting areas with dry vegetation where ‘fires can start easily, spread rapidly, and burn intensely’.
Garry Douglas, group commander of the SFRS told the BBC: “Wildfires are extremely difficult to deal with because they can be so unpredictable with the weather. In the morning we generally have calm weather, but as the temperature and the wind picks up throughout the day, fires can start to spread and we get more fuel sources drying out.”
SFRS figures show 80 per cent of large outdoor fires since 2010 were recorded between March and May, with firefighters responding to 170 large outdoor fires each year. Last year saw the numbers of outdoor fire callouts reduce to 55 due to ‘prolonged wet weather’ but the SFRS warned the ‘seasonal risk remains’.
For more information on protecting yourself and the environment you can visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website.