Shock new figures have revealed that a Highland region has witnessed a five-fold increase in deliberate fires in just two years.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) data shows that Ross and Cromarty was the scene of 32 of the blazes in 2016/17, up from 17 the year before and just five in 2014/15.
The steady rise was branded “obviously concerning” last night, with Ross and Cromarty alone accounting for more than half of the deliberate fires in the Highlands in the last five years.
Deliberate fires include those started as a result of antisocial behaviour and wildfires.
The new statistics are included in a report to Highland Council’s Ross and Cromarty committee.
There were 13 deliberate fires in the area in the last half of the year, eight of which were wildfires, two were bin fires, one incident involved a house, one was a blaze in a car and another involved a skip.
And seven of the 13 deliberate fires occurred in the Alness area over a five week period.
Ross and Cromarty has already been hit with a major wildfire in the new financial year, with firefighters spending several days battling a huge blaze above Kilmuir on the Black isle in May.
The figures appeared to buck the region-wide trend, with local fire chiefs reporting last September that the number of deliberate fires in Highland had dropped to its lowest level for five years.
Cromarty Firth councillor Maxine Smith said: “It’s obviously concerning but the fire service will be onto it.”
SFRS local senior officer John MacDonald said: “Deliberate fires are dangerous, put lives at risk and are completely unacceptable. They can also affect the environment and have the potential to impact on local businesses and road networks.
“Such activity is not only reckless and dangerous, but draws on SFRS resources.
“However, through robust and flexible strategic planning, our crews are always ready to respond to any incident to keep our communities safe.
“I’d like to thank our hard-working crews for their ongoing commitment and professionalism in responding to and tackling deliberate fires and in particular where they resulted in wildfire.
“We would also ask local residents and businesses to ensure that rubbish does not accumulate outside their property, and that wheelie bins are stored in a safe and secure area until collection.”