But they also happen here. They may be less dramatic and on a smaller scale, but they still cost the Scottish taxpayer millions of pounds a year and compromise safety as fire services find themselves stretched.

So Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service is right to be leading attempts to tackle the problem and alert the public to just how easy it can be to unwittingly start a blaze which can damage valuable forestry and tie up scores of firefighters.

A new website provides an up to date fire severity index, identifying areas at particular risk of wildfires so that people can check before they head out into the countryside and, if the risk is high, avoid lighting fires, barbecues and discarding cigarettes. Even a small piece of glass on a sunny day can be enough to trigger a major moorland blaze.

Our region is one of those at most risk, particularly at this time of year before lush new vegetation has begun to spring up, and wildfires have a particularly disruptive affect here. With few full time firefighters in the Highlands, every call-out can mean someone being called away from their work. And it is not just the crews fighting the fires — others have to be mobilised to cover empty stations so that any other emergencies can be dealt with.

Now that the issue is gaining a higher profile, it may be time for our politicians to look again at who should bear the cost of tackling wildfires. There is some provision for landowners to contribute if controlled burning has been allowed to run out of control, but not on a systematic basis and rarely for the full cost.

Perhaps all landholdings over a certain size should have a surcharge added to their local tax bill to cover the cost of fighting wildfires. If the bill went down in the Highlands and Islands so would the surcharge, providing an incentive for better prevention.

Another possibility is that all landowners with holdings over a certain size should be made to take out wildfire insurance. Once again, the system of no claims discounts would encourage estates to minimise the risk.

Action village

FACED with a deteriorating play park and an increased level of vandalism, some communities may simply have given up and looked around for a scapegoat. Lack of council investment perhaps, or a reduction in police patrols.

Both may have contributed to the difficulties Kirkhill found itself facing. But the difference with this village was that local people decided to do something about it themselves.

They formed an action group and set about raising the £60,000 required to not just repair the village park but also to enhance it. The local authority chipped in and organisers also received help from charities such as Comic Relief and Children in Need, sources open to community groups but not official bodies like the council.

The result is a facility the whole of Kirkhill can be proud of. And as it is used more, it is vandalised less.

A celebration picnic this weekend will set the seal on the finished project, one which ought to give heart to communities everywhere that grassroots action can make a difference.

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