Wildfires in Scotland Strain Fire Service Budgets

Firefighters in Scotland are continuing to tackle a wildfire that has spread over a large area of forest in Scotland, The Guardian reported (4-5-25).

Emergency services were called to southern Scotland on Friday night, with fire crews still on the scene on Saturday afternoon.

Another wildfire had been reported in around the same area on Thursday and covered about 1.5 miles (2.4 km). On Wednesday, crews in Scotland tackled a large grass fire at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling.

This year has seen 286 wildfires hit the UK, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), more than 100 above the number recorded in the same period in 2022, a year that had record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented wildfire activity.

The NFCC has warned it needs “long-term and sustained investment,” saying it could not continue to cope with “significant increases in wildfires” with current budgets “already under strain.”