Wildfire hits West Lothian as temperatures soar

28 June 2018, 08:27 | Updated: 28 June 2018, 09:07

Firefighters have tackled a 200m wildfire near Bathgate.

Crews were called to the fire in woodland near Falla Hill Place in Fauldhouse at around 5pm on Wednesday.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said officers were met with a 200m-wide fire and worked to contain it.

Six crews remain at the scene to monitor the area. No casualties were reported.

It comes amid a heatwave across Scotland, with temperatures reaching 31.3C (88.3F) in the Highlands on Wednesday, making it the hottest day since June 1995.

Hot weather is expected to continue on Thursday, with forecasters saying temperatures might break the June record of 32.2C (89.9F) in Ochertyre in Perth and Kinross in 1893.

About 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter have been drafted in to help tackle a vast moorland blaze in Greater Manchester.

The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, are joining firefighters on the edge of Saddleworth Moor, where teams are still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to 3.7 miles that first broke out on Sunday.