Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has praised the efforts of local fire crews tackling moorland blazes across the Western Isles.

Since Wednesday, services have responded to a high number of call-outs, often working through the night, to bring muirburn under control.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has warned of an ‘extreme risk’ of wildfires on the West Coast due to sustained easterlies and sunny periods which have dried out the moorland.

Alasdair Allan MSP commented:

“The fire crews are to be praised for their efforts in helping protect life and property. Many individuals are volunteers, attending call-outs after a full day’s work only to be up all night fighting the blazes. Several of the fires have been of considerable size and in difficult to access areas.

“Fire crews, alongside the coastguard, have also been busy assisting with vaccination clinics. In the current pandemic, we should avoid any actions which may put our emergency services under any unnecessary pressure.

“I would urge people to refrain from undertaking muirburn under the present extreme conditions. With the forecast high winds, a controlled burn can easily get out of hand and turn into a fast-spreading wildfire.