Wild blaze spreads over large area of forest in Galloway

Firefighters are tackling a wild blaze that has spread over a large area of forest in Galloway.

Emergency services were called to Glen Trool at about 23:50 on Friday, with fire crews still on the scene late on Saturday afternoon.

Helicopters are being used in efforts to extinguish the flames while police have urged people to stay away from the area.

It has also affected Merrick Hill, Ben Yellary and Loch Dee, police said.

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

Scotland has seen a number of fires over the last few weeks as the weather gets warmer and drier.

The fire service issued an “extreme” warning for wildfires and the public has been urged to avoid lighting any fires outdoors until next week.

It warned that there was typically a large volume of “dead, bone-dry vegetation across large areas of countryside” at this time of year which acts as a fuel for fire.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said hills are particularly prone to wildfires because the fire can spread far quicker uphill than on flatter ground.