Bute Wildfires

Just one week after my walk on Bute there were wildfires raging on the west side of the island. I'd seen smoke rising from the island on my journey to work, but the farmers were busy burning the dry grass and heather so I didn't think much of it. A couple of days later even the glen was hazy with the drifting particles despite being a good 5-10 miles from the fires, so I knew it must be getting worse. That night I decided to take a drive to the viewpoint to see if I could see anything. As I approached the viewpoint I could see the glow in the distance but when I arrived at the highest point of the Glendaruel to Tighnabruaich road the reality was startling. If it had been a deliberate fire it had gotten completely out of control.

I got chatting to a lovely couple from Newcastle, who were sat with cuppa in hand and camper-van parked up for the night in the lay by, watching the spectacle before turning in for the evening. They said there had been helicopters dropping water on the fire to try and control it during the day. It was extensive and the air was thick with the smell of smoke. I took a few photos as we discussed their onward journey for the following day and then said goodbye. I headed up to the Ark hilltop further along to try and get a better view. The Ark itself is no longer as it blew down in the storm in January and all the debris has now been cleared away.

I was the only one there and at first it was a little unnerving wandering up the trail in the dark, but once my eyes adjusted it was lovely - an almost full moon was out and the sky was clear (apart from the smoke). I could now see the full extent of the fires and for a half an hour I was absorbed in trying to get the settings right on my camera, and feeling as if I was witnessing something kind of primeval and raw - a ritual of nature's power.

A local newspaper article said: Emergency services were called to reports of a grass fire off the A844 at around 8.03am on Tuesday. Scottish Fire and Rescue Services dispatched four appliances to the scene where a fire was affecting around one square mile of grass. One appliance remains at the scene as of Thursday. It comes as SFRS issued an “extreme risk” alert across the southwest, eastern, central, and north of Scotland for Thursday. Fire services have been battling multiple blazes across the country over the past week.

On Thursday morning I went for a gorgeous swim off the tank slip at Kames and could see the smoke still billowing. The evidence of blackened grass is clear on the photo above. At one point a helicopter flew over with water. I've been told they only do this if there is risk to life as it is so expensive. I also heard that the farmer resoponsible may be presented with the bill, and a rumour that he denied access to his land for the fire service to attend the fire. Someone also said that there had been a distinct smell of barbeque when the wind blew in the right direction. The thought of all the wildlife that must be perishing to produce that smell is devastating.