Arthur's Seat blaze likely caused by human activity - fire service
A large fire on Arthur’s Seat, in Edinburgh’s city centre, was almost certainly sparked by human activity, according to a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service group commander. Neil MacLennan stated that while the precise cause of the blaze remained unclear, a deliberate act could not be ruled out.
The fire, which spread rapidly across the hillside in Holyrood Park on Sunday afternoon, was extinguished overnight and placed under surveillance. As the flames raged, the area was evacuated. There were no reported injuries or fatalities.
On the steep hillside, Mr MacLennan explained, fires can quickly spread through gorse and heather. When asked how the blaze began, he told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland:
“We don’t have specifics, but we can reasonably say it was some sort of human behaviour or interference.
It’s very unusual for any natural wildfires to start in this region.
How that came about at this time, we don’t know at the moment, but there will have been some degree of human contact. That’s part of the danger for the area – it’s a busy place, and the risk is always there for this type of fire to start.”
Arthur’s Seat, which rises above Edinburgh near the Scottish Parliament, is a popular climb for both locals and visitors, offering panoramic views of the city. In February 2019, the hill caught fire again, with hundreds of firefighters working through the night to extinguish a large gorse blaze.
Several wildfire warnings have been issued this year, with Scotland experiencing an unusually hot and dry summer. Fires that swept across moorland in the Highlands earlier this year have been described as the largest wildfires the country has ever seen.
Why are wildfires becoming more common?
The majority of wildfires in Scotland are caused by human activity, according to Professor Rory Hadden, Chair of Fire Science at the University of Edinburgh.
“Some of these incidents are simply the result of people in the countryside trying to enjoy themselves and making mistakes,” he told Good Morning Scotland.
Wildfires in Scotland are becoming larger, more widespread, and more difficult to contain, Professor Hadden said. Increasingly extreme summer heat and milder winters are contributing to greater vegetation growth, providing more fuel for fires. Changes in land use – such as increased rewilding and rural depopulation – are also factors, he added.
The alarm was raised at around 16:05 on Sunday. The fire service confirmed that four appliances and specialist equipment had been sent to Arthur’s Seat. As of Monday, two appliances remained at the scene.
