SCOTLAND’S firefighters have warned cuts to the service are dangerous as north-west Scotland faces an “extreme risk of wildfires” this weekend.

Britain’s largest recorded wildfire ripped through Cannich, near Loch Ness, almost a year ago to devastating effect, and now the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has urged vigilance on anyone visiting or living in the rural west Highlands over the weekend to be vigilant amid fears of a repeat.

SFRS Group Commander Niall MacLennan urged the public to “think twice before using anything involving a naked flame,” adding: “These fires can destroy livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest, as well as the lives of people living and working in rural communities.