Thurso wildfires being treated as deliberate as Caithness police launch hunt for culprits

Two wildfires close to homes on the outskirts of Thurso are being treated as deliberate by police.

Officers have appealed for witnesses after the two blazes a day apart on moorland near John Kennedy Drive on Thursday and Friday last week.

The force has urged anyone who “saw people setting fires” to get in touch and the have condemned those responsible for the “extremely dangerous and reckless act” - especially given the blazes’ close proximity to people’s homes.

During the fires residents were told to keep their windows and doors closed for their own safety as a result of the thick smoke in the air.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We are appealing for information in relation to two large scale fires set on moorland above John Kennedy Drive, Ormlie, Thurso.

“The fires were reported to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service around 3.30pm on Thursday, April 10, and 4pm on Friday, April 11.

“This was an extremely dangerous and reckless act, especially so given the very high and extreme wildfire risks we have been facing recently and the proximity to local houses.

“If you have any information, or you saw people setting fires to get in touch with us via 101 or online, quoting ‘incident 2263 of April 10’.”