Fire crews to remain on scene of Arthur's Seat blaze for 'foreseeable'
Four appliances were mobilised to the hillside after the alarm was raised at around 4pm on Sunday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service area commander has said it is likely the blaze was caused by a person.
Specialist resources are being used as the Fire Service works to extinguish the blaze, which is affecting a large area of gorse.
Two fire engines remain on the scene, with crews likely to be in attendance for the foreseeable future. TikTok/Geordie273 Arthur's Seat fire. TikTok/Geordie273 TikTok/Geordie273 Arthur's Seat fire TikTok/Geordie273
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service group commander Niall MacLennan said: 'While we have no indication of the cause of the fire, the majority of fires of this nature are started by human behaviour.
'Responsible human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a fire starting.
'It's vital to follow all safety advice when outdoors and to make sure you are familiar with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code at all times.'
There were no reports of any casualties.
Images of Arthur's Seat show large plumes of white smoke billowing into the sky, with patches of fire visible in several spots on the hill face.
The extinct volcano that overlooks Edinburgh is popular with tourists and hillwalkers and makes up most of Holyrood Park.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) confirmed the High Road and the pavement will be closed to all users until at least Friday.
A spokesperson said: 'Our Ranger Service has been assisting Scottish Fire and Rescue with an ongoing incident in Holyrood Park.
'Road closures were in place in Holyrood Park overnight to support the work of the emergency services.
'Access has now been reinstated with the exception of the High Road, where the road and pavement will be closed to all users until at least Friday, August 15.
'We would also ask visitors to continue to follow guidance from the emergency services and avoid the south side of Arthur's Seat while the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continue their work.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Deadly wildfires cause chaos across Europe as thousands evacuated
Wildfires continue to intensify across southern Europe with a round-the-clock battle to protect the perimeter of Greece 's third-largest city and at least three deaths reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania. Outside the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves. Tall columns of flames rose behind apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city, while dozens of vehicles were torched as flames swept through a nearby impound lot. "Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country," Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said. At least 15 firefighters were hospitalised or received medical attention for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion, he added. As water-dropping planes and helicopters swooped overhead, residents joined the effort, beating back flames with cut branches or dousing them with buckets of water. Firefighting resources were stretched thin in many affected countries as they battled multiple outbreaks following weeks of heat waves and temperature spikes across the Mediterranean region. On the Greek island of Chios, exhausted firefighters slept on the roadside following a night-long shift. Aircraft rotated between blazes on the western Greek mainland, the Patras area and the island of Zakynthos. Athens also sent assistance to neighboring Albania, joining an international effort to combat dozens of wildfires. An 80-year-old man died in one blaze south of the capital, Tirana, officials said Wednesday. Residents of four villages were evacuated in central Albania near a former army ammunition depot. In the southern Korca district, near the Greek border, explosions were reported from buried World War II-era artillery shells. Authorities said dozens of homes were gutted in a central region of the country. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences after the death of a firefighting volunteer in the hard-hit Castile and León region north of the capital, Madrid, where thousands have been displaced by evacuations. "The wildfire situation remains serious, and taking extra precautions is essential," Sánchez wrote in an online post. "Thank you, once again, to all those working tirelessly to fight the flames." Evacuation centers were filled to capacity in parts of central Spain, with some spending the night outdoors on folding beds. The most severe fires pushed northward into more rural areas, where some residents hosed the walls of their homes to try and protect them from fire. Services along a high-speed rail link between Madrid and the northwestern Galicia region were suspended after fires got close to some sections of the tracks, state rail company Renfe said. In Turkey, a forestry worker was killed Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in a southern region, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire truck that left four others injured. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. In France, which is recovering from massive recent fires in the southern regions, temperatures of up to 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) were expected for the third consecutive day. Officials issued weather alerts giving local authorities discretion to cancel public events and cordon off areas with high fire risks. Authorities across European countries have cited multiple causes for the massive fires, including careless farming practices, improperly maintained power cables and summer lightning storms. Law enforcement officials in North Macedonia also cited indications of arson, motivated by rogue developers. Firefighters struggled to contain a blaze at a nature reserve outside the capital, Skopje, on Wednesday. The European Union has rushed aid to fire-hit countries, including non-member states, with ground crews and water-dropping aircraft. Much of the recent effort was concentrated on Montenegro, where major wildfires continued to burn in rugged areas near the capital, Podgorica. "Natural disasters know no borders," Ljuban Tmusic, head of Montenegro's civil protection agency said. "In Montenegro, the resources we have ... are clearly not enough." Spain is seeking help from its European partners, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Wednesday. In particular, it requested two Canadair planes, he said in an interview with local media Cadena SER. "At the moment we don't need the two Canadair planes urgently, but, given the weather forecast, we want to have those planes in our national territory as soon as possible so they can be used, should they be necessary," he said. While for now it isn't necessary, the country is ready to seek more help from its European allies, such as more firefighters, he added.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Scotsman
Public urged to avoid using naked flames outdoors as wildfire warning issued for most of Scotland
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has issued its 10th wildfire warning this year and is urging the public to avoid using naked flames outdoors. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A 'very high' risk of wildfire comes into effect from today (Wednesday) and will remain in place until Tuesday, 19 August. The affected areas across Scotland are:- August 13-15 - eastern areas The warning, which will remain in place until Tuesday, applies to most of Scotland. August 16-17 - eastern and western areas August 18-19 - most of Scotland, including east, west, central belt and southern uplands. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Wildfires have the potential to burn for days and devastate vast areas of land and wildlife. Group Commander Niall MacLennan is one of the SFRS Wildfire Tactical Advisers. He said: "During periods when the risk of wildfires is high, we want people to avoid using portable barbecues, discarding cigarettes on the ground or lighting campfires in or near areas of vegetation as these all pose a significant threat. "We know the vast majority of wildfires are started by human behaviour, so acting responsibly can lower the chance of a fire starting in the first place. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Help us protect remote and rural communities, who can be hugely impacted by wildfires, by following the safety advice and being familiar with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code." Wildfire prevention and safety advice can be found on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's website. You can learn more about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code online.
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
A ‘very high' risk of wildfire comes into effect from Wednesday 13 August
A 'very high' risk of wildfire comes into effect from Wednesday, 13 August and remains in place until Tuesday, 19 August. The affected areas across Scotland are: 13-15 August – eastern areas – 16-17 August – eastern and western areas and 18-19 August – most of Scotland, including east, west, central belt and southern uplands. Wildfires have the potential to burn for days and devastate vast areas of land and wildlife. Group Commander Niall MacLennan is one of the SFRS Wildfire Tactical Advisers. He said: 'During periods when the risk of wildfires is high, we want people to avoid using portable barbecues, discarding cigarettes on the ground or lighting campfires in or near areas of vegetation as these all pose a significant threat. 'We know the vast majority of wildfires are started by human behaviour, so acting responsibly can lower the chance of a fire starting in the first place. 'Help us protect remote and rural communities, who can be hugely impacted by wildfires, by following the safety advice and being familiar with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.' Wildfire prevention and safety advice can be found on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's website. Like this: Like Related
