Wild fires cause road disruption

3 May 2011 Last updated at 19:11 A helicopter water bombing fires at Sheil Bridge A wild fire closed the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Tyndrum in Argyll for about two hours leading to tailbacks in both directions.

Elsewhere, a boat was used to get firefighters to a remote location affected by another wild fire.

Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue said a property was potentially at risk from the blaze near Lochailort.

Crews have also been tackling fires in Glenshiel in Kintail, Inverkirkaig in Assynt, and on the Balmoral Estate.

A wild fire in Torridon in Wester Ross has been brought under control.

Ian Smith, group manager with HIFRS, said the terrain of the north west Highlands made it difficult for firefighters to reach the flames.

He said: "In Glenshiel a fire is burning high up and is inaccessible to firefighters.

"We have a pump there to maintain a watching brief.

"At Lochailort we have had to mobilise a crew via a boat to a remote location where there is house which a fire has been moving towards."

Mr Smith said three appliances were tackling an incident at Inverkirkaig and a helicopter had been brought in to water bomb the flames.

He added: "Firefighters have been putting in a tremendous effort."

The fire at Inverkirkaig has been burning for almost 30 hours.

Units from Lochinver, Scourie and Achiltibuie have been fighting the flames on four fronts, one being the Inverpolly nature reserve.

Several homes in Inverkirkaig and Shiel Bridge in Glenshiel were evacuated because of advancing flames earlier, but Mr Smith said people had since been able to return to their properties.

Exhausting work

Crews have been working on steep rugged terrain and helicopters have been brought in to reach inaccessible areas.

Hundreds of firefighters have been involved - most of them part-time, retained firefighters.

The BBC's Jenny Hill says it has been one of longest periods crews have spent tackling moorland fires in recent years

Much of the effort to tackle the fires has involved the exhausting work of physically beating out the flames, along with water bombing by helicopter.

The largest scale fire was at Torridon in Wester Ross which destroyed about 10 square miles of vegetation.

It has been burning over the long weekend and has led to the evacuation of a campsite and the airlifting of several hillwalkers to safety.

The National Trust for Scotland said the fires had raged over key areas of Scottish woodland, including the Inveralling forestry scheme, and that late on Sunday they hit the forest regeneration plantations above Kintail village.

Walkers and visitors to the countryside were being warned not to light fires or barbeques.

'Simple precautions'

Pete Selman, director of properties and visitor services for the trust said: "We will have a better idea by the end of the week as to how much damage has been done and what we will need to do to make the affected areas safe and accessible again and to begin the work of recovery.

"We would ask that anyone who intends walking in any of countryside properties in this and future dry spells to take a few simple precautions for the sake of their own safety and of others.

"Before venturing into the area check ahead via the media and the web if there are any wildfires."

He added: "Please don't light a fire or make use of disposable barbecues in moorland or woodland and avoid dropping glass objects, such as bottles or jars, whilst out on the property as these can focus the sun's rays and start fires.

"All that we ask is that visitors take reasonable precautions and act sensibly."

Fires also broke out at Kinlochleven in Lochaber and at Davah woods near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire on Monday evening.

Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service had also been dealing with a large area of scrub and gorse on fire at Glengyle, at the northern end of Loch Katrine.

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Gorse fires 'could cause deaths'

3 May 2011 Last updated at 16:22 There were gorse fires across NI over the bank holiday weekend

Police are warning that those deliberately starting gorse fires were putting people's lives at risk and would face prosecution.

There were gorse fires across NI over the bank holiday weekend - at one stage an average of one call every 45 seconds was being received.

The worst of the blazes on Tuesday is at Glenshesk near Ballycastle.

The Mournes and Gortin were also badly affected, although the flames there have now subsided.

BBC NI reporter Alexandra McKenzie was in Ballycastle on Tuesday afternoon. She said that although fears the fire would spread to the Ballypatrick forest have not been realised, damage was nonetheless extensive.

"The fire has wiped out hundreds of acres of farmland. That will take years before it can be used again," she said.

"There are points when you drive along that you can hardly see in front of your car, you can hardly see where you're going the smoke is so thick.

"It's even difficult to breathe."

Two boys, aged 10 and 15, have been questioned by police about a gorse fire in County Tyrone.

They said they were also following up reports that a man with a petrol can was seen in the Rostrevor area on Saturday evening and that two youths were spotted lighting fires on Slieve Gullion Mountain in south Armagh on Sunday night.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary White said the thought that "individuals may be deliberately causing such destruction is very hard to comprehend".

"Not only are they putting livestock in danger, and destroying the habitat of wildlife, but as seen in the necessary evacuations in Annalong and the Lenamore Road in Omagh, homes and therefore the lives of residents are being threatened," he said.

"I would also appeal to those people who are causing the fires to think of their actions and the consequences involved which will most certainly include prosecution."

A fire on the Munie road in Ballymena on Friday is also believed to have been started deliberately. Police said it claimed around 40 acres of land and, at one stage, threatened to destroy a farm house and out buildings.

'Community problem'

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Peter Craig said it had been "phenomenally busy".

"What we are highly concerned with is protecting life, property and infrastructure," he said.

"In Rostrevor, I saw a ball of flames rolling towards a property. Firefighters, the local community and property owners themselves worked extremely hard to make sure that that person's home did not go up in flames."

Mr Craig said this was a "community problem" and adults should question young people about where they are going.

"Not only are they putting the community at risk, they are putting themselves at risk," he said.

The NIFRS said the holiday weekend had been the busiest in its history.

In a 24-hour period from midday on Sunday, the fire service received 927 calls and sent appliances to a total of 376 incidents. Gorse and grassland fires accounted for 194 of these.