Graph reveals how 7,400 hectares burned in the Highlands Fire

Firefighters are still battling an out-of-control wildfire that threatens to break records as it engulfs a huge swath of the Scottish Highlands.

Amid soaring summer temperatures, wildfire warnings have been extended across Scotland as crews struggle to contain the blaze in Cannich, County Inverness.

Yesterday afternoon, the flames had spread through forests and valleys stretching over several square kilometers as firefighters tried to contain the blaze.

As the mercury hit another high of 24.8C (76.7F) in Tyndrum, Perthshire, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) extended its forest fire warning. very high” until June 5. The alert covers the majority of the eastern, central and southern regions. Scotland.

An investigation is currently underway to establish the cause of Cannich’s crash as careless wild camper speculation may be to blame.

Forest inferno: Dry trees and brush ignite in Cannich, Inverness-shire

Waterbombing: Helicopter tackles separate fire in Tentsmuir, north of St Andrews

SFRS Group Commander Niall MacLennan said: ‘As the hot, dry weather continues, the risk of wildfires is also increasing. The ongoing incident in Cannich shows just how big these fires can get.

“A mix of seasonal weather conditions combined with very dry and dead vegetation means there is an increased risk of fires, which can be started by the careless disposal of cigarettes as well as barbecues or campfires left unattended. .”

At its peak, nine engines were mobilized for the fire. A helicopter was also used to bombard the area with water. Dog walkers have been advised to avoid the area where the water is released as a safety precaution.

Residents were also told to keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke, which was so thick on Tuesday it was visible from space. A Nasa satellite image showed the 22-mile plume of smoke drifting towards Loch Ness.

Two firefighters who were injured when their all-terrain vehicle overturned have since been released from hospital.

Experts say wildfires burn at 800C and this one has already devastated an area of ​​land equivalent to 4,200 full-size football pitches.

Group Commander MacLennan said: ‘Cannich was a difficult incident and our crews are working tirelessly to fight the fire and stop its spread.

Conflagration: Cannich wildfire flames came dangerously close to electricity pylons

Scorched Earth: Incident Commander Jamie Thrower amid a blackened landscape in Cannich

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has extended its ‘very high’ forest fire warning until June 5

“Suppressing a fire on this scale requires a large amount of resources, including the use of helicopters to augment our response. We will stay put until we secure the area.

In the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Rhoda Grant, Labor MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, asked Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown what could be done to prevent similar fires, amid suspicions the blaze was likely was triggered by a wild camper.

The minister said she had no “inside information about how the fire actually started”.

Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton said the fire was ‘estimated to become the largest per area on record’, adding it was a ‘stark reminder of the risks our men and women in the emergency services are taking day after day”.

Forestry and Land Scotland also suggested wild campers may have been the source of the flames, and said smaller fires had been burning at the site near Kerrow Farm since last Tuesday.

The government body urged anyone taking advantage of the hot weather to do so responsibly.

Ross Ewing, Land & Estates Scottish Director for Moorland, said: “Our thoughts are with the firefighters who were injured battling the wildfire in the Cannich area.

A helicopter which is being used to fight the huge wildfire which is burning in the Cannich Hills

Cannich’s flames spread through forests and valleys spanning several square miles

An all-terrain vehicle, like the one in which two firefighters were injured fighting the blaze

“Almost 7,400 acres have already been burned in this fire and it follows the massive wildfire near Glenuig in April which was estimated to be the second largest on record in the UK.”

He added: “Forest fires have a devastating impact on wildlife and habitats, generating catastrophic carbon emissions.

“They are becoming more common in Scotland, partly because of climate change and partly because of a lack of fuel load management [the physical removal, thinning and pruning of tree, shrub and litter ‘fuels’] In certain regions.

“We urge anyone heading to the countryside to follow campfire cooking advice, and when the ground is so dry, it is recommended not to use a campfire or camping stove.”

Powder keg conditions show no signs of abating, forecasters say. They predict that the current dry weather will last well into the weekend, with temperatures expected to peak at 23°C over the next few days.

Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said an area of ​​high pressure north-west of the UK ‘will keep things dry and stable’, adding: ‘There will be a bit of separation between East and West’ .

“Where it is cloudier, it will feel cooler between 12-14C in the east. But in the sun, it will be hot and the conditions should be the same on Saturday and Sunday.