Extended patrols ensure Loch Ken is wildfire free during hot weather
Extended patrols ensured Loch Ken was free from wildfires during the recent hot weather.
Loch Ken Trust's ranger service and volunteers made sure the beauty spot was safe when an extreme wild fire risk was issued earlier this month.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue service had asked people to avoid barbecues and campfires, as avoiding using naked flames can help reduce the risk of wildfires.
And those on patrol were delighted to see many people out enjoying the outdoors responsibly – with no fire found around Loch Ken.
The trust recently began joint patrols with Police Scotland in a bid to tackle irresponsible behaviour. Feedback has been very positive, and these joint patrols will continue.
Head ranger, Leanne Pumpr, said: 'I enjoyed meeting with so many visitors and locals over the weekend who were having a great time in the outdoors, acting responsibly and leaving no trace.'
Many bags of litter were collected over the weekend, but the majority of users acted responsibly around Loch Ken.
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Thanks goes to the Loch Ken Trust ranger volunteers for helping with patrols and water safety advice during the good weather.
A huge thank you goes to the Loch Ken Trust Ranger volunteers for assisting with patrols and water safety advice during the spell of great weather.
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Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
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Horrified Brits reveal smouldering shell of Cyprus home torn apart by huge wildfire after fleeing with seconds to spare
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the moment a British family returned to their smouldering home in Cyprus after it was destroyed by a deadly wildfire. Lucy, 37, and Ben Armstrong, 38, grabbed their toddler, packed a few bags and bundled their three dogs into the car as flames closed in on their village of Souni. 9 Lucy and Ben Armstrong fled their home in Souni, Cyprus with their toddler Ethan 9 The damage to the family's home, captured in drone footage shot by Ben, who is a filmmaker 9 The family hoped their home might be spared as their neighbours' homes were The Armstrongs, who tied the knot last October, have called the quaint village home for the past four years. When they first saw smoke curling over the Troodos mountains, they didn't panic - plenty of wildfires hit the Mediterranean island every summer. But this time was different. It was the worst wildfire Cyprus had seen in half a century. Two people were killed in a car trying to flee, and over 70 houses were destroyed amid a scorching 43C heatwave. The fires began on Wednesday afternoon and swept across 40 square miles in the south, mainly in Limassol District, where the village of Souni is located. Speaking to The Sun, Ben said: "We lost everything that day, there's nothing left. "We had fish tanks in the house and there was absolutely nothing left of what was in the water except melted glass on the floor." The couple described the stress of packing in the dark as the flames neared - made worse by the bad luck of experiencing a power cut that day. They told their son Ethan to stuff as many toys as he could into a bag while they raced around the house grabbing what they could. Ben said: "Our son is quite defiant at times and he was so compliant. "He was really scared, because he knew mummy and daddy were panicking, and we were in the dark." Two burned alive in Cyprus & another 10 killed in Turkey in horror wildfires Discussing the day their lives were turned upside down, Lucy said it was 'a normal day'. She first noticed the smoke while picking up Ethan from kindergarten. "As I was driving back on the motorway I could see smoke up the hills towards where we live," she said. "The smoke just kept coming, it started getting thicker, covering the sun and the sun was turning red." By around 7pm the family of three decided to drive up to a viewpoint at the nearby village of Kyvides. There, all they could see was "a stretch of fire and smoke". In that moment, the couple knew they had to evacuate fast and quickly alerted their close-knit community on WhatsApp. Ben said: "We didn't realise how little time we had. I'm a filmmaker and photographer, so was upstairs in the office packing all my gear and shouting down to Lucy, 'how's it looking?' "She was saying, 'it's glowing over the hills'. That's when I looked out the window, and thought 'oh my god, you can see flames now'. Adding to the stress, the Armstrongs had been without water or electricity for 24 hours. Ben said: "We were in the dark, so we had to make sure we were keeping an eye on our three-year-old son while running around and still trying to pack stuff. "So I gave him a bag for life kind of thing and told him to grab as many toys as he wants." 9 The couple had been living in the home for the past four years 9 Lucy and Ben believe their home could have been saved if there had been more firefighting support in Souni 9 The sheer destruction to the family's home They left the house just before 9pm, rushing to Lucy's parents home, which is a 15-minute drive away. "We all stank of smoke and were sweating. Ethan's also been quite ill from the smoke in the last couple of days. "I'm pretty sure he's had some sort of smoke inhalation - or it could just be from the stress of the situation," Lucy said. After a sleepless night, fearing they might have to evacuate again and unsure if their home had survived, Ben set out at 5am. "I followed his location the whole way up and my heart was racing," Lucy said, weeping as she recalled it. "I called him as soon as he got to our home and he said, 'Lucy, it's gone'. "All the other houses on our street were okay, so he had hope he was going to come up to our home and everything would be fine." Lucy, who runs a kids' entertainment business, lost at least £8,000 worth of bouncy castles and bubble houses in the fire. But what upsets her the most is that it's the place where they have "so many memories", including Ethan taking his first steps. The couple said four officials from the Cypriot government showed up on Friday morning, asking them to list everything they'd lost - from white goods and TVs to couches - to claim money from the disaster relief fund. 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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Extended patrols ensure Loch Ken is wildfire free during hot weather
Loch Ken Trust's ranger service and volunteers made sure the beauty spot was safe when an extreme wild fire risk was issued earlier this month. Extended patrols ensured Loch Ken was free from wildfires during the recent hot weather. Loch Ken Trust's ranger service and volunteers made sure the beauty spot was safe when an extreme wild fire risk was issued earlier this month. The Scottish Fire and Rescue service had asked people to avoid barbecues and campfires, as avoiding using naked flames can help reduce the risk of wildfires. And those on patrol were delighted to see many people out enjoying the outdoors responsibly – with no fire found around Loch Ken. The trust recently began joint patrols with Police Scotland in a bid to tackle irresponsible behaviour. Feedback has been very positive, and these joint patrols will continue. Head ranger, Leanne Pumpr, said: 'I enjoyed meeting with so many visitors and locals over the weekend who were having a great time in the outdoors, acting responsibly and leaving no trace.' Many bags of litter were collected over the weekend, but the majority of users acted responsibly around Loch Ken. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Thanks goes to the Loch Ken Trust ranger volunteers for helping with patrols and water safety advice during the good weather. A huge thank you goes to the Loch Ken Trust Ranger volunteers for assisting with patrols and water safety advice during the spell of great weather.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
When will the heatwave return in Scotland after days of downpours?
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