Firefighters spent seven hours battling an enormous grass fire which erupted across a Scottish hillside overnight.
Crews rushed to the blaze in Oban, Argyll and Bute, at 3.32pm yesterday.
They tackled the roaring fire overnight – as the sky was lit up with fiery red plumes – before it was out completely by 9am this morning.
Four fire engines attended as smoke billowed out over the seaside town.
As night fell, conditions were quickly deemed too treacherous for crews to continue working in the dark.
Firefighters spent seven hours battling an enormous grass fire (pictured) which erupted across a Scottish hillside overnight
Crews rushed to the blaze (pictured) in Oban, in Argyll and Bute, at 3.32pm yesterday
They made two checks on the fire’s path in the early hours of the morning, before crews pulled out completely by 9am, a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson confirmed.
Horrified locals shared pictures and videos of the blaze on social media.
One Twitter user shared an image of the billowing smoke and wrote: ‘Just took this from my back garden, fire still raging up the back of the tower, make that about seven hours or so now.’
Another wrote: ‘Wildfire in Oban tonight next to McCaigs tower. Not good to see.
They tackled the roaring fire overnight (pictured in the evening) – as the sky was lit up with fiery red plumes – before it was out completely by 9am this morning
‘Scottish Fire and Rescue Service out doing their best.’
In a statement issued last night, the service told The Sun: ‘We attended a grass fire near to Longsdale Crescent in Oban. The initial call came in at 3.32pm.
‘We had four appliances in attendance and at the moment the appliances have left the hillside due to darkness.
‘The fire is continuing to burn and we will return at first light.’