Scottish wildfire forces evacuations as blaze spreads north from Galloway

Emergency services are continuing to battle a wildfire that started in Galloway, south of Scotland, and has spread north into East Ayrshire, forcing the evacuation of walkers and wild campers. The blaze started in the Newton Stewart area on Friday, then spread northwards over the weekend after a change in wind direction to reach Loch Doon. Residents living nearby were advised to keep windows and doors closed and police told people to avoid the area. Stewart Gibson, the team leader at Galloway Mountain Rescue, told BBC Scotland fire crews had employed four helicopters to drop water on the flames from above, with the fire front several miles wide at one stage. Rising temperatures across the UK earlier this week led to wildfire warnings being put in place, with the Scottish fire and rescue service saying there was a “very high to extreme risk” of fires spreading because of warm, dry conditions. The service has warned the public to avoid outdoor fires and barbecues, and to dispose of cigarettes and glass safely. Further north in the Highlands, crews were tackling another wildfire north of Ullapool on Sunday with roads closed and heavy smoke hampering visibility. Six crews were in attendance, with personnel travelling almost 70 miles to offer assistance and firefighters at the scene reporting a firewall stretching more than 3 miles and large plumes of smoke descending over the area. Earlier on Sunday morning, a significant wildfire that broke out on Saturday and triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland was extinguished. One man was arrested by police. More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze, which was believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said. Northern Ireland fire and rescue service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately 2 miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.