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Clyde ships use foghorns due to wildfire smoke

Stephen Lipton A drone shot of lots of smoke drifting down over Greenock and onto the Clyde river. The water is still with one boat speeding across.Stephen Lipton
The wildfire smoke affected visibility on the River Clyde near Greenock

A huge smoke haze from a wildfire prompted ships on the River Clyde to sound their foghorns on Monday.

Fumes from the blaze near Inverkip in Inverclyde drifted over Greenock, with social media reports saying ships issued warning blasts due to low visibility.

A spokesperson for Peel Ports Clydeport said there was no specific request for sound signals, but vessels are obligated under the International Collision regulations to operate their foghorns when in or near areas of restricted visibility.

It comes as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) extended its "extreme" warning for wildfires across parts of Scotland until Thursday.

Firefighters are currently tackling a wildfire which has broken out in the Glendale area of Skye.

Crews from Dunvegan, Portree and Kyle of Lochalsh were called to the blaze shortly after 12:00 and are said to be making good progress with bringing it under control.

Scott Rayner A wildfire pictured at night in the Galloway Forest Park. Lines of orange flames burn across the hillside and the orange/grey smoke can be seen rising from the dark hills. Scott Rayner
The Galloway blaze took hold on Thursday and spread north over the weekend

Firefighters were called to about 90 outdoor fires over the weekend including large fires in the Galloway Forest Park in Dumfries and Galloway, and Inverpolly Forest in the Highlands.

The fire service had initially put out an "extreme" warning across the whole country until Monday.

But a "very high" warning has been extended for all of Scotland until Wednesday, with an "extreme" risk specifically in the southwest, eastern, central, and northern areas until Thursday.

A large blaze emerged in the Glen Trool area of the Galloway Forest Park on Thursday and spread to Loch Doon in East Ayrshire.

At its height, there were two fire engines at the scene assisted by two helicopters water-bombing the fire.

The blaze was under control by Monday night and one fire crew remains on the scene to inspect the area and make sure it is safe.

Another grass fire broke out at Stac Pollaidh in Inverpolly Forest, north of Ullapool, and six fire appliances were called to extinguish it.

Members of the public were urged to stay away due to heavy smoke in the area.

It was put out by Monday night but one fire engine was on standby at the scene overnight.

The warm and dry weather is expected to continue until the weekend, with temperatures reaching as high as 20C.

People are urged to exercise caution in rural areas over the Easter holidays and avoid lighting outdoor fires.

A shot of hills under a blue sky with smoke in the distance and a roadsign to the right
A wildfire broke out in woodland at Stac Pollaidh near Ullapool

Kenny Barbour, deputy assistant chief officer from SFRS, said the recent fires were "devastating for those who live nearby".

He added: "Our firefighters will continue to work with local landowners and other partners to bring these fires under control.

"As the warm and dry weather continues, so too does the risk of wildfire, and so we are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.

"Responsible human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is crucial that people act safely in rural environments and always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code."

'Invest more in firefighters'

John McKenzie, Scottish secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said the recent fires were the "clearest evidence" of the need to invest more in staffing, equipment and training to prevent wildfires and protect firefighters and communities.

He added: "However, over the last 12 years, over 1,250 firefighter posts have been lost and tens of millions of pounds have been cut from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service budget.

"The Scottish government must provide urgently required additional funding to ensure that firefighters can tackle incidents such as wildfire effectively."

But Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said this year's Scottish government Budget included £412.2m for the SFRS - an increase of £18.8m.

She said: "This will enable SFRS to continue to deliver the high standard of services required to keep communities safe and ensures Scotland continues to have more firefighters per capita than other parts of the UK.

"I am grateful to the dedicated firefighters and first responders who have been dealing with recent and ongoing wildfires.

"We will continue to work with SFRS to support implementation of its three-year wildfire strategy, with the continued rollout this year of new equipment, vehicles and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)."