Latest news with #HolyroodPark
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Blaze at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh likely started by human activity, fire chief says
A large fire on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh was likely started by human activity, fire chiefs have said. Emergency services were alerted to the blaze just after 4pm on Sunday, as smoke billowed into the sky from the extinct volcano in Holyrood Park. Fire crews worked throughout the night and into Monday afternoon to control the fire, which spread quickly through gorse and heather on the steep hillside. Although the cause of the blaze is still unknown, it was almost certainly caused by humans, fire chiefs have said. 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.' A frightened eyewitness said he watched as the flames spread while he made his way down Arthur's Seat. Nick Brice, from Brighton, told BBC Scotland News: "We could see this little plume of smoke on the ridge at the far side, and it just got bigger and bigger. "All of a sudden we could see these flames starting to come up and people noticed it spreading fast.' One Edinburgh resident said the fire was 'pretty scary' and one of the worst she had seen. Nim Byron told the Independent: 'It shows how dry it has actually been in Scotland this summer, this is not normal, as Scotland is famously a very wet place.' Dr Rory Hadden, Rushbrook senior lecturer in fire investigation at the University of Edinburgh, said wildfires are becoming more frequent due to land use and climate change. Dr Hadden said: ' Wildfires in and around Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh occur relatively often. Like this one, these typically burn relatively small areas (compared to other wildfires in Scotland) but can have relatively large impacts due to the location and proximity to people – the plume of smoke can exacerbate respiratory conditions as well as the direct danger to those on the hill. 'It has been very dry in Edinburgh this year. This means that vegetation – particularly dead growth from previous years – is very dry. The weather in Edinburgh has been reasonably good recently (sunny and warm) but with quite strong winds. 'This all acts to dry out even more of the dead vegetation, making it easy to ignite – and once ignited, for the fire to spread rapidly. Especially on the steep terrain of Arthur's Seat.' It comes after Scotland had the driest spring on record since 1964, it had a deficit of 60m litres a day during droughts. Earlier in July, parts of the north of the country were hit by wildfires.
National Post
10 hours ago
- Climate
- National Post
Large gorse fire battled at Scottish tourist attraction Arthur's Seat
Firefighters battled overnight to tackle a large gorse fire that spread across a landmark hill in Edinburgh. Article content Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at Arthur's Seat late Sunday afternoon. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said early Monday two fire appliances remained at the scene and crews were helping dampen down hotspots. Article content Article content There have been no reports of any casualties. Article content Plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the extinct volcano in Holyrood Park as the fire burned. Article content Article content 'Operations Control mobilized four fire appliances and specialist resources to a fire affecting a large area of gorse,' an SFRS spokesperson said. The cause of the blaze is currently unclear. Article content Arthur's Seat is a popular tourist attraction in the Scottish capital. From the hill's peak, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the old city and the surrounding area, including the sea to the east. Article content The fire came as the city kicked off its annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest performance arts festival. Article content
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Firefighters remain at scene of Arthur's Seat blaze
Firefighters remain at the scene of a gorse blaze on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh which broke out on Sunday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 4.05pm on August 10. Fire crews worked through the night tackling the blaze and three appliances were still dealing with the incident by late morning on Monday. Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the hill, an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park to the south-east of the city centre. Experts said that most wildfires in Scotland are caused by the actions of people, whether malicious or otherwise. There were no reports of any casualties. Dr Rory Hadden, Rushbrook senior lecturer in fire investigation at the University of Edinburgh, said wildfires are becoming more frequent due to climate and land use change. He said there needs to be more awareness of wildfire risk and that careful thought must be given to how landscapes are managed and how to minimise the consequences of wildfires when they do happen. Dr Hadden said: 'Wildfires in and around Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh occur relatively often. Like this one, these typically burn relatively small areas (compared to other wildfires in Scotland) but can have relatively large impacts due to the location and proximity to people – the plume of smoke can exacerbate respiratory conditions as well as the direct danger to those on the hill. 'It has been very dry in Edinburgh this year. This means that vegetation – particularly dead growth from previous years – is very dry. The weather in Edinburgh has been reasonably good recently (sunny and warm) but with quite strong winds. 'This all acts to dry out even more of the dead vegetation, making it easy to ignite – and once ignited, for the fire to spread rapidly. Especially on the steep terrain of Arthur's Seat. 'The location is popular with visitors and locals alike and with it being a nice day yesterday it was very busy. We know that most fires in Scotland are started by the actions of people (malicious or otherwise). 'The large number of people visiting and the very dry conditions are therefore a good mix for a wildfire to start and to spread. But it is too early to identify the specific cause of the fire in this instance. 'More generally we are seeing increases in wildfires in the UK due to climate and land use change.'
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Arthur's Seat fire: Human activity likely cause, says fire service
A large fire on Arthur's Seat in the centre of Edinburgh was almost certainly sparked by human activity, a Scottish Fire and Rescue service group commander has said. Neil MacLennan said that the exact cause of the blaze was not yet known but that a deliberate act could not be ruled out. The fire, which spread rapidly across the hill in Holyrood Park on Sunday afternoon, was brought under control overnight. The area was evacuated as the flames spread and there were no reported casualties. Mr MacLennan said the "challenging" fire spready quickly through gorse and heather on the steep hillside. Asked how the blaze started, he told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "We don't have specifics … but what we can pretty much be certain of is it would have been some form of human behaviour or intervention of some sort. "It's very rare for any natural wildfires to start in this country."How that manifested we don't know at this stage but there will have been some form of human interaction and that's part of the risk for that area – it is a busy area. "The risk is there for that type of fire to start." Arthur's Seat rises above Edinburgh from near the Scottish Parliament. Offering views of the city, it is a popular climb for locals and visitors. The hill also caught fire in February 2019, with dozens of firefighters working through the night to extinguish a large gorse blaze. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has issued several wildfire warnings this year, with the country seeing a particularly warm and dry that burned across moorland at Carrbridge and Dava in the Highlands earlier this summer have been called the biggest wildfires Scotland has ever seen. Why are wildfires more common? Professor Rory Hadden, chair of fire science at the University of Edinburgh, agreed that most wildfires in Scotland were caused by human told Good Morning Scotland: "Some of these can kind just be people in the countryside trying their best to enjoy themselves and making some mistakes."Prof Hadden said wildfires in Scotland were becoming larger, more common and more difficult to put out. With climate change was causing more extreme heat in the summer and milder temperatures in winter, the expert said this led to the growth of more vegetation, providing more "fuel" for fires. He added that changes in land use, such as an increase in rewilding as well as rural depopulation, were also contributory factors. The fire service said four appliances and specialist resources were sent to Arthur's Seat after the alarm was raised at about 16:05 on said two appliances remained at the scene on Monday.
Sky News
14 hours ago
- Sky News
Firefighters dampen down hotspots after battling blaze at Edinburgh landmark Arthur's Seat
A large gorse fire that spread across Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh has been brought under control by firefighters working through the night. Emergency crews were alerted to the blaze in Holyrood Park on Sunday afternoon. In an update on Monday morning, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said two appliances remain at the scene and are helping crews to dampen down hotspots. There have been no reported casualties. Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the hill, an extinct volcano, just a short distance from Edinburgh's historic Old Town to the southeast of the city centre. Climbing Arthur's Seat to enjoy views of the city is a popular activity for tourists and locals alike. Reports suggested people could be seen running to safety as the fire spread. The cause of the blaze is currently unclear. A SFRS spokesperson said the alarm was raised at about 4.05pm on 10 August. They added: "Operations control mobilised four fire appliances and specialist resources to a fire affecting a large area of gorse. "Two fire appliances currently remain at the scene where crews are continuing to dampen down hotspots. "There are no reported casualties at this time. "Members of the public are advised to stay away from the area." Edinburgh is especially busy this month thanks to the return of annual festivals, including the Fringe. This weekend has also seen Oasis fans descend on the Scottish capital as Liam and Noel Gallagher's band performed two nights at Murrayfield Stadium. The band will return to Murrayfield's stage for a third show on Tuesday.
