Scotland’s weather: Wildfires risk ‘very high’ as nation basks in spring sunshine, firefighters warn

Firefighters have warned of the risk of wildfires over the weekend amid soaring spring temperatures.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it is on high alert as the wildfire risk is “very high” until Wednesday, as forecasters predict the mercury could rise to 17C with variable winds.

Group commander Niall MacLennan said there have been a number of wildfires in Scotland this week, including large fires on Ben Lomond and near Mallaig, which showed “how real the danger of fire is in the countryside and how damaging it can be to the environment, wildlife and nearby communities”.

He added: “With rising temperatures this weekend, and further dry conditions into next week, wildfires could burn and spread with very high intensity in high-risk areas.

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

The warning, put in place from Friday, puts the risk of wildfires in the central and north east of the country at very high until Monday, with the same risk rating for central and southern Scotland in place until Wednesday.

A high pressure weather system will see temperatures climb alongside variable winds.

Accumulated dead grass, leaves, twigs and heather on the ground at this time of year dries quickly in light winds and, when ignited, acts as fuel which can spread wildfires over a wide area.

Earlier this week the fire on Ben Lomond took firefighters two days to put out, the service said.

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