Forestry chiefs in Perthshire have been left “very angry” after a fire was started by a disposable barbecue.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) says it was only the actions of rangers and members of the public that prevented a fire at Loch Rannoch from becoming a serious blaze at the weekend.
Witnesses reported seeing several young men lighting a barbecue on the shores of loch, opposite Kilvrecht campsite, on Sunday before kicking it over a short time later.
Accelerant used at Fife forest
The fire then spread to an area close to Blackwood before it was discovered and extinguished by Perth and Kinross Council rangers and two members the public.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that officers had later attended the site to ensure the fire was extinguished.
It came after a separate incident at Tentsmuir Forest in north-east Fife last Tuesday, when a flammable accelerant is thought to have been used in an attempt to start a fire there.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has warned of a high risk of wildfires in recent days during a prolonged spell of hot and dry weather.
Crews have also tackled several major wildfires in the Highlands this month.
Robin Lofthouse, FLS area visitor services manager in Tayside, says he was angered by the latest incident.
He said: “It’s unbelievable that in spite of all the issues that Scotland has had in the past three weeks with fire, there are still some people who would do this.
‘It makes us very, very angry’
“It is really disheartening to know that last week, youths in Tentsmuir were spreading and attempting to light some sort of accelerant in a bid, we presume, to start a bigger fire.
“The fire service, our staff and any number of other land managers are doing everything they can and then some to try and deal with fires and get the message about fire safety across to people.
“When we get things like this happening it just makes us all very, very angry.”
Bailie Mike Williamson, deputy convenor of Perth and Kinross Council’s Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee, said: “It’s extremely disappointing that some visitors have so little respect for the beautiful countryside we have in Perth and Kinross that an incident like this could happen.
“If it had not been for our rangers and two members of the public at Kilvrecht, this could have spread further and caused even greater damage.
Thanks to two women who put out Perthshire fire
“On behalf of the council I’d like to extend my thanks to the two ladies who were on site before our rangers arrived and who were trying to put out the fire.
“I’d urge people to follow the Outdoor Access Code, which allows for responsible access to our countryside.
“We all have a duty to protect our environment and must remember the risks of fire are all too real.”
