Firefighters tackle wildfires in Scotland, raise concerns of crew fatigue

Firefighters are struggling to control the wild blaze that has engulfed a large area of forest in Scotland. In light of this police are raising alerts and urging locals to stay away from the area.

According to The Guardian, emergency services were called to Glentrool in Galloway, southern Scotland, at about 11.50 pm (local time) on Friday. The fire crew were still operating on the scene on Saturday.

The Scotland police said that the wildfire was expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire at about midnight. Helicopters are being used in efforts to extinguish the flames which have also affected Merrick Hill, Ben Yellary and Loch Dee, police said.

Apart from this, one appliance from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is at the scene as well. Another wildfire was reported in around the same area on Thursday and covered about 1.5 miles (2.4km).

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On Wednesday, officials in Scotland tacked a large grass fire at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has warned it needs “long-term and sustained investment” to cope with the climate crisis and “increased demand” for its services after firefighters battled wildfires across the UK this week.

It is pertinent to note that in just this year, 286 wildfires hit the UK, according to the NFCC, 100 more than the number recorded in the same period in 2022.

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The NFCC warned the government that it could not continue to cope with “significant increases in wildfires” with current budgets “already under strain”.

“There is no getting away from the fact that climate change is driving increases in extreme weather events, such as wildfires," Phil Garrigan, chairman of the NFCC. “Responding to wildfires requires a lot of resources, and often over long periods, which puts pressure on other fire and rescue service activities."

“Rising resilience threats mean there is an increased demand on fire and rescue services and that has to be met with long-term and sustained investment. This is really crucial to ensuring we can continue to keep our communities safe," he added.

Meanwhile, fire services in Scotland, Wales and England have all warned against barbecues and campfires in open spaces this weekend. They also urged people to dispose of cigarettes properly.

With inputs from agencies.