Early heath fire
THE PAST week’s dry weather caused an unseasonal call out for three Shetland fire crews on Tuesday when they spent two hours putting out a heath fire.
The fire service was alerted at 2.45pm about a 3,000 square metre area of heathland three miles north of Bridge of Walls on the A971 to Sandness that was on fire.
Crews from Scalloway, Brae and Lerwick raced to the scene where they used shovels and beaters to put out the flames, which were extinguished shortly before 5pm.
A fire service spokeswoman said that dry weather on the Scottish mainland started a similar fire last year in March, but it had been later in the month.
The dry weather is due to come to an end with strong easterly winds bringing rain for Thursday.
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