Police urge people to stay away, as helicopters try to extinguish flames in Galloway and surrounding region

Firefighters are dealing with a wild blaze that has spread over a large area of forest in Scotland with police urging people to stay away from the area.

Emergency services were called to Glentrool in Galloway, southern Scotland, at about 11.50pm on Friday with fire crews still on the scene on Saturday afternoon.

Police Scotland said the wildfire was expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire at about midnight

Helicopters are being used in efforts to extinguish the flames which have also affected Merrick Hill, Ben Yellary and Loch Dee, police said. One appliance from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is at the scene.

Another wildfire had been reported in around the same area on Thursday and covered about 1.5 miles (2.4km).

On Wednesday, crews in Scotland tackled a large grass fire at Gartur Moss in Port of Menteith, Stirling.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has warned it needs “long-term and sustained investment” to cope with the climate crisis and “increased demand” on its services, after firefighters battled wildfires across the UK this week.

This year has seen 286 wildfires hit the UK, according to the 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 warned the government that it could not continue to cope with “significant increases in wildfires” with current budgets “already under strain”.

Phil Garrigan, chairman of the NFCC, said: “There is no getting away from the fact that climate change is driving increases in extreme weather events, such as wildfires.

“Responding to wildfires requires a lot of resource, and often over long periods of time, which puts pressure on other fire and rescue service activities.

“Rising resilience threats mean there is an increased demand on fire and rescue services and that has to be met with long-term and sustained investment. This is really crucial to ensuring we can continue to keep our communities safe.”

Fire services in Scotland, Wales and England have all warned against barbecues and campfires in open spaces this weekend, as well as urging people to dispose of cigarettes properly.