WATCH: Assynt wildfire 'freak accident' engulfed five miles of land
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A WILDFIRE that engulfed miles of terrain in Assynt and triggered call-outs to crews in Ullapool and Lairg is understood to have been sparked by a freak accident.
The incident that sparked the wildfire in Glencanisp yesterday spread across more than five miles of land due to strong western gales.
The wildfire on January 28 is understood to have been caused by a broken powerline during an unusually warm January day of around 18°C, combined with fierce winds seen across much of the north-west Highlands.
"It's unusual to have a fire in the middle of winter, with a combination of 18 degrees, and 67mph wind – It just sort of came out of nothing, one of these freak accidents. On behalf of The Assynt Foundation, thank you to all fire fighting crews and everyone else who mobilised so quickly, we genuinely appreciate it." - Lewis MacAskill
Lewis MacAskill, chairperson of The Assynt Foundation and an eyewitness of the wildfire, said: "The high winds caused an electricity pole along the Glencanisp road to rip away holding a bracket, and it appears that the live wire fell to the ground and started the fire.
"With the high winds, it quickly spread out mostly in an easterly direction, catching any drier vegetation as it went. It came pretty close to the village of Lochinver, but thankfully the wind was blowing it away, and continued east instead.
"Within ten minutes the fire was well under way. The fire was roughly half a mile wide, and five or six miles long – it travelled five miles in two hours which is about 2-3mph... that's almost walking pace, it was quite scary.
"In two hours it had reached Little Assynt, some five miles away from the source of the fire. The fire didn't cross the River Inver and was opposite the Little Assynt Tree Nursery, still heading east, when thankfully a heavy shower of rain put it out at 5pm.
"It also got very dark at 5pm, so we aren't sure of the damage done yet. However, we do know that no people, buildings, commercial forestry or croft land has been injured or damaged.
"It's unusual to have a fire in the middle of winter, with a combination of 18 degrees, and 67mph wind – It just sort of came out of nothing, one of these freak accidents.
"On behalf of The Assynt Foundation, thank you to all fire fighting crews and everyone else who mobilised so quickly, we genuinely appreciate it."
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said units from Ullapool and Lairg were sent to the scene with a total of three appliances attending. It's understood they left the area by around 5pm.
It is also thought that police from Ullapool and Gairloch were present.
It is understood that the broken power line was repaired promptly last night, a few hours after the initial fault.
Yesterday, there were multiple reports of fierce gusts across Ross-shire and a number of trees down from the Black Isle to Mid and Wester Ross. One reader reported "crazy gale force winds" in Invergordon and another "massive gusts" in the Dingwall area. Others reported stormy conditions in Bonar Bridge, Portmahomack and Lochinver.
