Fifty firefighters battling West Lothian blaze
Crews were first called to the scene near Fauldhouse on Saturday morning
Last updated 11th May 2025
Fire crews are still tackling a large wildfire that broke out in West Lothian equivalent to five football pitches in size.
Emergency services were first called to the scene at around 11.45am on Saturday in a wooded area off the B7010 near Fauldhouse in West Lothian.
Around 50 firefighters are battling to bring the 40,000 square metre blaze under control, with a helicopter being used to drop water onto the affected area.
Those living nearby were urged to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.
An extreme risk warning for wildfires in currently in place across mainland Scotland until Monday due to the warm, dry weather.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are still working on extinguishing the fire and have the same amount of appliances (nine) there from yesterday."
Police have urged people to avoid the area to allow emergency services to deal with the blaze.
Scotland 'on frontline of climate crisis'
The Scottish Greens have claimed that the fire, as well as the extreme wildfire warning issued across the country, signals that Scotland is on the frontline of the climate crisis.
MSP Ariane Burgess said: "We aren't even in the height of our summer yet and we are already seeing our woodlands burning and warnings in place across much of the country.
"We should all be grateful to the firefighters who are risking their lives and putting their safety on the line to protect us and our communities.
"It's not just the immediate threats they face, but also the lifelong increased health risks from exposure to smoke and toxic substances.
"We need to do everything we can to ensure that they are well supported and properly equipped for the growing threats that we face from increasing temperatures. Yet, in some parts of rural and island Scotland the fire service is facing a challenge to fill the crews, and some of their stations are in bad need of upgrade.
"Some of these fires have raged for days at a time and have done a huge amount of damage to local livelihoods and habitats. But, most importantly, they have put people in serious danger.
"Scotland is blessed with amazing and iconic landscapes that attract visitors from across the world.
"But they are also homes and places where people live and work, and, with our climate changing around us, they are being put at growing risk and thrust on to the frontline of the climate crisis."