'Large wildfire' in Scotland - after multiple blazes across UK this week
Helicopters are being used to tackle Scotland's fourth wildfire this week after others broke out in England amid warmer-than-usual temperatures.
The latest blaze was reported in Galloway at 11.50pm on Friday.
Police Scotland said fire services were still using helicopters to bring the flames under control on Saturday, which have now spread 1.5 miles across Merrick Hil, Ben Yellary, Glen Trool, and Loch Dee.
It is the fourth wildfire to sweep the country so far this week - with one stretching 500m at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling, on Wednesday.
Crews were also sent to extinguish blazes in Bonhill, West Dunbartonshire, and Kilpatrick Hills, East Dunbartonshire, earlier in the week.
They come amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year, which triggered a "severe" wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.
Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far - with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) - the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.
People have been warned not to have barbecues in parks as they risk fires spreading through open spaces.
London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner Paul McCourt warned earlier in the week: "The Met Office has issued an amber wildfire warning, covering London, and this will be in place for the rest of the week.
"As the weather warms up and we head towards Friday and the weekend, we would urge Londoners not to have barbecues in open spaces or on balconies, including disposable barbecues, to throw rubbish away, and to dispose of cigarettes carefully to avoid inadvertently starting a fire."
In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.
Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath, near Poole on Wednesday, and Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.
The former saw flames spread across 37 acres - but fire crews said they were both brought under control.
286 wildfires so far this year
The warm weather is set to continue next week, with above-average temperatures into next weekend, and the risk of wildfires still possible but reducing, according to the Met Office.
There have already been 286 wildfires reported in 2025 - 100 more than those recorded over the same period in 2022, which saw record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented numbers of fires.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has urged the government to increase resilience as wildfires are increasing with climate change.
Chairman Phil Garrigan said: "Responding to wildfires requires a lot of resource, and often over long periods of time, 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.
"Wildfires are not a seasonal threat - they are becoming a persistent and growing risk to life, property, and the environment. We must adapt and invest now to ensure our services are equipped to meet this challenge."
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