Invergordon fire crew flags disposable barbecue danger amidst outdoor blaze warning
A ROSS-SHIRE community fire crew has issued a heartfelt appeal over disposable barbecue use after spending hours tackling a flare-up in a remote location.
The Invergordon Community Fire Station team shared pictures from the scene in a bid to show that the danger of outdoor fires is far from over with dry conditions still prevalent in many difficult to reach areas.
The images show the remains of a widely available and cheaply bought disposable barbecue.
Referring to the Sunday incident, the team posted: “Due to evidence at the scene, we were able to determine the cause of this fire to be from careless use of a disposable BBQ.
“Due to the remote location of the incident and lack of readily available water, we were committed for a considerable period of time to extinguish the deep-seated fire.”
One fire appliance also re-attended on Monday morning to re-inspect the area and further extinguish some remaining hotspots.
The team said: “We want to highlight this incident to show that even though the dry and hot weather we enjoyed over the summer may have passed, the ground in some sheltered areas of woodland and forestry remain extremely dry. These conditions mean the risk of outdoor fires like this remains present.
“We would urge people to continue to enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly regardless of the time of year.”
The post prompted a response from Marion Robertson. She posted: “I have been saying this consistently, it’s not yet over. Having been in the middle of the Dava fire this year, the ground is still dry and the danger is still very very real.
“There is so little education out there now of what happens and some people really can be so ignorant of what their actions can do. Our lives have been completely changed due to the actions of who or whatever set the fires going on the Dava this year.
“It is still an ongoing concern going forward so I totally feel for anyone in this situation and cannot stress enough the need for more awareness being raised in schools and any environment where we can really try and get across the depth of the damage to the earth, the wildlife, the lives of people who may be involved in the vicinity or the people having to try and put them out.
“This looks similar to a part of the fire on the moor which burnt for weeks creeping through the undergrowth in an area with no water nearby or anyone to spot it.”
Another called for a ban on sales in supermarkets and filling stations.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 4.03pm on Sunday, September 21 to reports of a fire in the open near to Struie Road, Edderton.
“Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance and specialist resources to the area and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting an area of forestry measuring approximately 50 square metres.
“There were no reported casualties and crews left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe.”