Moray Council Leader statement on wildfires

“The wildfires across Moray and neighbouring Highland areas just now are a stark reminder of the sheer power of fire. My sincerest thanks go to the emergency services involved in the ongoing significant response operation, as well as the gamekeepers, landowners and farmers who have rallied to give their strength too. Residents across Moray are reminded to keep windows and doors closed where smoke is affecting air quality. I’d also make a plea to drivers to follow road closure notices and not ignore them. These closures are in place for your safety as well as the emergency service personnel fighting hard to contain and control the impact on our landscape and communities. Council staff are working in the background to prepare for any potential disruption to services and communities, as they do in any similar situation, but are not expecting to stand up this response at the moment. The forecast for the winds to drop and rain to come in this evening is welcome and I hope it gives the emergency services some respite from the challenging conditions.”