Fire crews spend third day tackling West Lothian forest blaze

Fire crews are spending a third day tackling a large wildfire which broke out in a West Lothian forest.

At the height of the incident, more than 50 firefighters were working to extinguish the flames in woodland near Fauldhouse.

A helicopter was also used to drop water onto the burning trees.

It is understood the fire broke out some time before 11.43am on Saturday.

On Monday morning, a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesperson confirmed that four appliances remained at the scene.

People living nearby have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.

The fire service had earlier warned of an “extreme” risk of wildfires across mainland Scotland due to the warm, dry weather, with the warning in place until Monday May 12.

On Sunday, an SFRS spokesperson said: “At its height (on Saturday), more than 50 firefighters were working at the scene to make the area safe.

“They continue to be supported by a helicopter which is dropping water on the affected area.

“Local residents are being asked to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed if they are affected by smoke.”

The Scottish Greens said the fire, as well as the extreme wildfire warning issued for all of mainland Scotland, signalled the country was on the front line of the climate crisis.

MSP Ariane Burgess said: “We aren’t even in the height of our summer yet and we are already seeing our woodlands burning and warnings in place across much of the country.

“We should all be grateful to the firefighters who are risking their lives and putting their safety on the line to protect us and our communities.

“It’s not just the immediate threats they face, but also the lifelong increased health risks from exposure to smoke and toxic substances.

“We need to do everything we can to ensure that they are well supported and properly equipped for the growing threats that we face from increasing temperatures.”

She added: “Scotland is blessed with amazing and iconic landscapes that attract visitors from across the world.

“But they are also homes and places where people live and work, and, with our climate changing around us, they are being put at growing risk and thrust on to the front line of the climate crisis.”