Fire

Spring is the time for heath burning. It is meant to be done no more than 1/7 of the overall land every 7 years and is meant to have people watching and so on.

Dunnet Head burned for 4 days and 4 nights. I could smell the smoke all the way to my house. My friend watched the flames from her window. She lives near the village of Dunnet. When the flames got out of control and threatened the village--the "village did what the village does" and everyone went to help try to put things out.

The BBC reported the fire was under control two days before it stopped burning.

http://www.caithness.org/fpb/2009/april/gallery.php?gallery=8

I don't recall this flavour of vandalism up here before. Perhaps this one was an accident. I hope so. It would be too sad to think that someone purposely set this in motion.

An article in the regional paper suggests that several fires have been intentionally set and local fire fighters--part time volunteers for the most part are hard pressed to respond.

I'll drive up to Dunnet Head myself today and survey the damage. Skylark and other nesting birds have lost their nests and eggs. I don't know if there is time enough for them to start again. The season up here is short.