Beware dangers of lighting fires outside

A WILDFIRE broke out again on Ben Bhraggie in Golspie just three weeks after the hill was badly scarred by flames.

A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said: "The service was alerted at 11.57am on Thursday, to reports of a fire in open ground near Ben Bhraggie, Golspie.

"Operations Control mobilised a number of fire engines and firefighters worked throughout the day to extinguish the flames.

"Crews left the scene at 6.10pm after ensuring the area was made safe."

The recent wildfires in the area are just some of the incidents being highlighted to raise awareness of the dangers that fire and naked flames can pose to the electricity infrastructure this summer.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and the SFRS are urging everyone to be aware of the increase in the number of wildfires due to the sustained period of hot weather in the north of Scotland.

The fire at Ben Bhraggie saw SSEN's transmission business support the local fire crews by temporarily de-energising its power lines in the area.

The design of the transmission network meant that power from the affected line was able to be re-routed to a separate part of the infrastructure with no impact to customers, and allowed the fire service teams to go about their duties safely.

Richard Gough, head of safety, health and environment at SSEN, said that the recent hot spell means more and more people are spending time outside, having picnics, lighting barbecues and enjoying the longer days.

"We want everyone to be aware of their surroundings, and to enjoy their time outside," he said.

"So please always look out, look up, and be aware of our overhead power lines, especially if this involves lighting a fire or using a barbecue.

"As we've experienced over the past few weeks, wildfires can spread rapidly, particularly in some of our more remote and rural locations in the north of Scotland. Our infrastructure delivers a safe and secure supply of electricity across the north of Scotland, but we may need to de-energise supplies to allow the emergency services to work safely in some difficult and challenging conditions.

"I'd urge anyone who sees any potential damage to our network to report this to our teams by calling 105 or sending a photo in from a safe distance using our new Power Track app."

Many wildfires and outdoor fires involving grass or refuse are started deliberately or are due to careless, reckless or irresponsible behaviour.

If you suspect someone of acting suspiciously, recklessly or irresponsibly in the countryside call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.