Firefighters are battling another wildfire in West Lothian tonight after a spate of weekend incidents

Firefighters are battling another wildfire in West Lothian this evening following a spate of similar incidents over the weekend.

Four fire engines and a water carrier have been called to the Benhar area of forest by Falla Hill, Fauldhouse, to deal with gorse and bushes which are alight.

A fire service spokeswoman said the fire, which broke out at about 4pm, covered an area of about 150m x 50m as of about 5:15pm this afternoon.

The spokeswoman said crews have been fighting a number of wildfires in the area over the weekend.

A fire engine involved in Monday night's fire in the Falla Hill area, Fauldhouse

One of those was at Polkemmet Moor, also near Fauldhouse, which burned from Friday afternoon until about 5:15pm on Sunday.

Firefighters from Linlithgow Fire Station were among those battling the flames and, in a tweet, they thanked residents of Fauldhouse for donations - bottled water, fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate and fruit - to keep crews refreshed and hydrated in the hot weather. A helicopter was also deployed to drop water onto the flames.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has warned of the high risk of wildfires just now given the recent spell of hot and dry weather.

As lockdown restrictions are eased, people who live in or who may visit rural areas have been warned to "think twice" before lighting barbecues or campfires.

Wildfires can start by the careless disposal of barbecues and campfires and have the potential to burn for days and ruin vast areas of land and wildlife and threaten nearby communities.