Chemical and environmental incidents

A small number of firefighters remain at the scene of a wildfire that burned near homes and a caravan holiday park at the weekend. The fire in woodland near Daviot, south of Inverness, broke out on Saturday afternoon. Forestry workers have estimated that flames had burned about 326 acres (132ha). People living near the scene have been asked to continue to keep doors and windows closed due to the smoke. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said: "At its height, six appliances and specialist resources were fighting the wildfire. "As of Monday, two appliances remain on scene working to extinguish the fire and prevent further fire spread." Some homes and businesses were without power for a while due to the incident.

Emergency services were called to the incident on Nuneaton Street, near the Emirates Arena, at around 5.08pm on Tuesday. Seven appliances and a specialist resource from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were mobilised to the scene on Tuesday, with crews remaining in the area more than 15 hours on from when the blaze broke out. Police Scotland officers also remain in the area to assist with traffic management. The force updated the public on social media in a statement which read: “Officers remain in attendance to assist with traffic management following a fire on London Road, Glasgow. “Road closures are still in place at London Road onto the Clyde Gateway. Access to the Emirates Arena is available via Dalmarnock Road. “Access to Nuneaton Street is limited. All other access to the industrial estate is now open.

Two firefighters have been injured at the site of a wildfire that has been burning in the Highlands since Sunday. The casualties were flown from the scene near Cannich to hospital by air ambulance on Tuesday morning. Several fire crews have been battling to bring the blaze on an area of open land under control. A helicopter was used on Monday to waterbomb the flames. Forestry Land Scotland said it was suspected the source of the fire may have been wild camping in the area. Fire crews have been battling the wildfire near an area of woodland since Sunday afternoon, and five crews remain at the scene. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has urged people who live nearby to keep doors and windows closed because of the smoke. The wildfire has come during warm, dry conditions. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warned last week the risk of wildfire in parts of Scotland was "very high".

A 46-year-old man has died following an explosion and fire at an industrial recycling plant in Perth. The M90 at Friarton Bridge was closed for 14 hours due to the fire, which broke out at the Shore recycling centre at about 00:40. Officers said the man's body was found at the scene and his next of kin have been informed. A 41-year-old man was taken to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital with serious injuries following the incident. He is being treated for burns. Shore Recycling Ltd, which owns the plant, said both men were employees at the plant. Michael Elwine, the managing director, said: "We are all devastated, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of our colleague who has died. "We are extremely grateful to the emergency services for their skill and diligence in dealing with the incident." He said the cause of the fire was not known but it had now been contained. "We will co-operate fully with any investigations," he added. "The plant remains closed until further notice." Locals reported hearing a number of loud booms from the blasts. Scottish Fire and Rescue said the blaze involved about 200 tonnes of scrap metal. Thick smoke was seen billowing across the carriageways of the motorway above. Amey, which maintains the Friarton Bridge, said it would carry out an inspection for any fire damage when it was safe to do so. The bridge fully reopened shortly after 15:15. Special operations team Six fire engines and other specialist appliances including a high-volume pumping unit and aerial platforms, were sent to the scene. It is the second major fire at the recycling centre in six months, following a blaze there in September. A Scottish Ambulance Service special operations team - made up of specially trained paramedics who provide the ambulance response to hazardous or challenging incidents - was also in attendance. A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We dispatched two ambulances and our special operations team to the scene, with our first resource arriving within seven minutes. "We transported one patient to Ninewells Hospital." Ch Insp Tom Leonard, area commander for Perth and Kinross, said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died at what is a very difficult time for them. "Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened and officers are conducting a joint investigation with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was aware of incident and was assisting Police Scotland with their inquiries.

A fire which burned all day at a recycling centre on an industrial estate in Perth has been extinguished. Fire crews were called to Shore Recycling at the Friarton Industrial Estate at 04:30 on Sunday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said on Monday morning that the fire had been extinguished and roads in the surrounding area had reopened. It added that there will not be an impact on the opening of schools in the area. Fire crews will remain at the site with officers from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) to monitor the situation. Sepa has asked people to avoid the area so that recovery operations to continue. Six trucks and two height appliances were called out to help tackle the blaze on Sunday, when plumes of smoke could be seen billowing across the city.

A PUBLIC health warning has been issued in Dumfries and Galloway after a blue green algae bloom was spotted locally. It has been reported on Loch Ettrick near Thornhill. Dumfries and Galloway Council released a statement today highlighting the toxicity of the algae to dogs and livestocks and advised against letting them, and humans, drink from contaminated sources. A spokesman said: “This advice remains in place throughout the season as Loch Ettrick blooms fairly regularly each year. “If you detect blue green algae, please report this to environmentalhealth@dumgal.gov.uk.” Meanwhile, Dumfries and Galloway NHS have also put out an algae warning to bathers. Speaking about the risks to swimmers and pets, public health consultant Dr Andrew Rideout said: “There are dangers around swimming in natural waters at any time, but at this time of year a key concern is the presence of blue-green algae. “Although it’s referred to as algae, it’s actually a group of bacteria called cyanobacteria. It usually can’t get a foothold in moving water, but in areas of warmer, still water it can start to form – and it really does pose a significant risk. “Blue-green algae emits toxins. A human or pet swimming through it with their head just above the water can be at serious risk.” The bacteria cannot be seen by the human eye unless it clumps together. At this point, it can look like green flakes, greenish bundles or brown spots. Dead fish can sometimes be seen in areas of water with high concentration of the toxic bacteria. Dr Rideout listed symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning as vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures/fitting, weakness/collapse/unconsciousness, disorientation/confusion, drooling and breathing difficulties. He added: “Anyone who does venture into natural waters should be extremely vigilant for the presence of this algae, which may not always be immediately apparent. “Walking past waters with blue green algae should not pose a risk, but anyone who does enter these waters and starts to feel unwell should seek medical advice immediately.” Blue green algae has also previously been spotted at Carlingwark Loch and Milton Loch near Castle Douglas and at Castle Loch in Lochmaben.

People are being told not to fish around a nuclear power station after an oil leak from an electricity substation on the site. East Lothian council yesterday advised visitors to Thorntonloch and Skateraw beaches, located next to Torness power station, to stay out of the water and keep their pets away. Now they have asked people not to fish in and around the beaches as well. The alert comes after an electrical fault at the substation caused an automatic fire protection system to activate leading to a mix of oil from the transformer and cooling water overflowing into the drainage system. Reports of discoloured water saw the local authority advise people using Thonrtonloch and Skateraw baeaches to stay out of the sea as water quality investigations were launched. The fishing ban is in place for “at least the next 24 hours” while waiting for the results of the water tests. It added that while it is believed the situations is improving clean up work has been taking place with teams using spill kits to block drains and contain and collect as much oil as possible. The council said it is believed the overflow has stopped but an absorbent boom had been installed as an additional safeguard. The substation is operated by SP Energy Networks and located within the grounds of EDF’s Torness Power Station. Tom Reid, the council’s head of infrastructure, said: “Teams responded swiftly to this incident and, working together with partner agencies, we are closely monitoring and managing the situation to protect the local environment. “We do believe it is an improving picture but, given the nature of the incident and the proximity of the beaches at Skateraw and Thorntonloch, we continue to ask members of the public to refrain from entering the water here at this time. “We also ask that owners do not allow pets to enter the water and that people refrain from fishing. “We will issue a further update to the public as our response to this incident continues.”

Firefighters have been battling a moorland wildfire in hills near Kyle of Lochalsh in the west Highlands. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews have been at the scene since Wednesday morning. A helicopter was being used on Thursday morning to waterbomb the fire, which was burning along a three mile (5km) front. A SFRS spokesperson said there were no reports of anyone being injured in the incident. The incidents follow a SFRS warning earlier this month of a heighted risk of wildfires due to dry and windy conditions. SFRS said it was alerted to the fire at Erbusaig, north of Kyle of Lochalsh, at about 10:20 on Wednesday.

Fire crews tackled a huge gorse blaze in the Highlands on Sunday evening. Emergency services were called to the scene on in Seabank Road, Invergordon at around 7.08pm. A heavy rescue unit from Inverness also attended the scene and provided additional scene lighting. Smoke could be seen for miles as the huge flames from the gorse fire filled the air. No injuries have been reported from the incident. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 7.08pm on Sunday, March 20, to reports of a wildfire affecting an area of gorse in Seabank Road, Invergordon. “Operations control immediately mobilised four fire engines, a heavy rescue unit and a community response unit to the location and firefighters extinguished the fire. “Crews left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe.”

Firefighters have been tackling a large wildfire in the Highlands. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was alerted to the blaze on Knockfarrel Hill, between Dingwall and Strathpeffer, at 11:11. Crews have been tackling the fire on an open area of gorse on two fronts of about 600m (1,968ft) and 800m (2,625ft) long. The incident comes during an SFRS extreme warning of wildfire risk in west, north and north east Scotland. The warning has come amid dry and windy conditions and is in place until Wednesday.

A hotel was evacuated while investigations into a mysterious smell in Edinburgh were carried out. Two fire engines and Scottish Gas Networks (SGN) were sent to St Andrew Square at 16:15 on Saturday following reports of a suspected gas leak. However, SGN later reported that no gas leak had been found. The fire service left the scene just after 19:30 and guests were allowed to return to the hotel on the square once it was declared safe. Residents took to social media to voice their concerns, with one tweeting "Edinburgh stinking of gas", while another queried: "What's the weird smell in Edinburgh New Town?" SGN tweeted: "The environmental smell in Edinburgh is moving from EH15 to the town centre. "We're experiencing a high number of calls and our engineers are carrying out checks at various locations. "The smell in the air isn't being caused by gas, but if you have safety concerns call 0800 111 999."

Work to clean up a pollution incident in the River Esk at Musselburgh is under way. On Friday a countryside ranger spotted an unusual residue that appeared to be discharging into the river. Specialist officers from Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) identified the likely source of the discharge on Saturday. This was a manhole filled with an as yet unknown material leading to a watercourse. Absorbent pillows were put in place by East Lothian Council in order to protect the river. The pollution discharge also gives off a smell which could linger for days, residents have been warned. Sepa and East Lothian Council are arranging for a contractor to remove the pollution material while its joint investigation into the cause continues.

More than 70 firefighters have been tackling a fire at a car breaker yard in Denny, near Falkirk. The alarm was raised at about 21:30 on Monday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent 10 fire engines and seven support units to the scene in Winchester Avenue. They found a well-developed blaze in a building and worked through the night to bring it under control. Firefighters were still at the scene at 06:30 on Tuesday. There were no reports of any casualties.

Warnings have been issued about the high risk of wildfires as firefighters tackled a a major grass fire above a West Highland town. Fire crews spent 16 hours working to extinguish the blaze above Oban which broke out on Friday afternoon. After recent dry weather, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says there is a "high to extreme" risk of fires across north east, central and east Scotland. NatureScot urged people enjoying eased Covid restrictions to be vigilant. The fire on the hillside above Oban was reported at about 15:30 on Friday. Four fire appliances were sent, with crews from Inverary and Appin called in to help local firefighters. They used beaters and backpack extinguishers to limit the spread of the fire before nightfall. Crews returned the following morning and the fire was put out at about 07:30.

Firefighters are tackling a blaze which broke out in the roof space of a building at Fife Zoo. Fire crews, including four appliances and a specialist resource, were called to the zoo - near Collessie - at 12:11 on Sunday. A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said one person had been treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation. Fife Zoo confirmed on social media that all of its animals were safe. The zoo is home to a range of animals, including lemurs and zebras. It reopened on 29 June after closing in March due to the coronavirus lockdown.

A fire has torn through a derelict building in the east end of Glasgow, causing an explosion which was heard from miles away. Emergency services were called to the scene near Duke Street at about 20:40 on Thursday. Locals reported hearing a "horrendous bang" and posted images of thick black smoke appearing across the skyline. About 30 firefighters have worked through the night tackling the blaze and six crews remain at the scene. There were no reports of any injuries and locals have been urged to keep their windows shut.

Firefighters have been tackling a large blaze at an industrial estate in Dundee for more than 12 hours. The alarm at Baldovie Industrial Estate on Forties Road was raised at about 20:15 on Sunday. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) sent four fire engines and other support appliances to the blaze. Some local roads were closed and police asked people to avoid the area. Nearby residents were also advised to close their windows because of the smoke. Firefighters were still at the scene at 09:00 on Monday. Police Scotland tweeted: "Police and SFRS are dealing with a fire at Baldovie Industrial Estate, Dundee. Drumgeith Road is closed between Summerfield Avenue and Berwick Drive. "Police request members of the public to avoid this area and for local residents to close their windows due to excessive smoke." A spokesperson for SFRS said: "We were alerted at 20:14 on Sunday, 7 June to reports of a fire within an industrial estate on Forties Road in Dundee. "Operations Control mobilised four fire and one height appliance to the scene and firefighters are working to extinguish the flames. "Crews will remain in attendance for some time."

The fire service was called to the incident in a two-storey building at Solway Recycling, Shawhead, near Dumfries, at about 16:00 on Sunday. Up to 45 crew members and nine appliances were in attendance at the fire at its peak. There were no reports of any injuries and three appliances remained on site on Monday morning for damping down. At the height of the blaze dark clouds of smoke could be seen for miles around. Solway Recycling uses waste plastic to make a host of products including agricultural equipment such as sheep pens and lambing shelters.

Fire crews are dealing with a number of wildfires across Scotland after a warning was issued for the weekend. The largest, in Eastfields, Fauldhouse, West Lothian, covers an area of 100 sq m, and was reported at 14:45. More than six hours later the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said seven pumps remained at the scene. Earlier it warned there is a "very high" risk of wildfires until Monday and urged people to "exercise extreme caution" in rural environments. Crews in the east are also dealing with a 30 sq m fire on heath land between Armadale and Bathgate.

Fire crews are dealing with a number of wildfires across Scotland after a warning was issued for the weekend. In the west a blaze was reported in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire, covering 600m by 300m. Nine pumps attended the initial call and six remain at the scene on Friday night.