WILDFIRES ARE NOW A RISK TO LIFE

Gamekeepers speak out and MSP says it's 'worst in history'

- KATRINE BUSSEY

GAMEKEEPERS who helped battle wildfires warned the blazes are becoming a danger to human life as they leave "stretched" firefighters unable to attend other incidents.

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) said a “round-the-clock effort” from gamekeepers and land managers, working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, helped prevent two fires from merging into a bigger blaze - a move that would have been a “nightmare scenario”.

The SGA spoke out as veteran Highlands MSP Fergus Ewing urged the Scottish Government to convene its emergency response committee — the Scottish Government Resilience Room, known as SGORR.