WALKERS heading to the countryside in Dumbarton and the Vale are being urged not to start wildfires which draw huge emergency resources and damage wildlife.

The message was issued by fire chiefs following concerns raised by Dumbarton woman Claire Morrison, who has been documenting the devastation of woodland near her home.

Claire, who works as a freelance TV researcher, started filming the Lang Craigs woodland, near Bellsmyre, after noticing almost daily debris left behind from man-made blazes.

She said: “I love wildlife and nature, however with pubs and shops being shut down there happens to be a lot more people around than before.

“People aren’t choosing to pick up wood that is on the floor. They are choosing to destroy woodland by chopping the trees down.”

She sent her short nature documentary to the Woodland Trust after discovering people in Barr Wood part of the Lang Craigs woodland had been cutting down trees to make campfires.

Claire added: “[My partner and I] initially only went up to take pictures and send it to the Woodland Trust, but as we were going round more of the woodlands we were discovering more and more damage.

“It also helped me to film something creative whilst raising awareness about an important issue.”

She and her partner returned after a few days and was faced with extinguishing a couple of smouldering campfires that had been left unattended.

Since lockdown, Scottish Government guidelines advised people go for walks to remain within their own household whilst social distancing, however Claire claims she has spotted numerous large groups of people out together and making campfires.

Fire crews have attended to more than 10 wildfires across Scotland – including one at the Kilpatrick Hills a few weeks back.

In response, area commander Andy Watt, SFRS local senior officer for West Dunbartonshire, said: “Fires in areas of woodland have the potential to spread quickly, and traditionally this is a period when we see a high volume of large wildfires in Scotland.

“These incidents can draw huge resources, and while we continue to maintain a high resilience across Scotland during this unprecedented time, we would seek to avoid any unnecessary demand on our service.

“Human behaviour can also significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, and so it is crucial that people act safely and responsibly in rural environments”.

A spokesperson from the Woodland Trust added: “The Woodland Trust encourages everyone to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and act safely and responsibly in all outdoor environments especially woodland.

“We have seen prolonged periods of dry weather in April and May and increased numbers of people enjoying outdoors as part of their daily exercise during lockdown.

“It’s more important than ever at this time to avoid lighting open fires in forests, woods and farmland.”