Thirty firefighters battled a huge blaze at a farm near a Moray port yesterday.
A huge plume of thick black smoke could be seen for miles around as flames engulfed part of a hayfield near the A98 Elgin-Fraserburgh road.
Investigators believe the blaze near Buckie may have been started by a burning cigarette end thrown from a passing vehicle.
The fire – in a field beside the turnoff to Rathven – was reported about 3pm.
It took about two-and-a-half hours to bring it under control, but firefighters stayed at the scene until 7.30pm to make sure the wind did not revive the flames.
Speaking at the scene, Elgin station commander Anna Rogers said: “The wind caused it to spread very quickly.
“There’s an electrical cable running through the field, which complicated matters.
“Our main focus was on stopping it spreading as there are houses at one end of the field and quite a lot of farm machinery at the other.”
A local farmer’s loader was used to flatten strips of hay in the field to create “fire breaks” and prevent the blaze from spreading.
Crews from four stations – Elgin, Buckie, Portsoy and Fochabers – were called to the scene.
Commander Rogers said: “We don’t know the causes of the fire yet.
“However, in a period of dry weather like we’re having now, I would urge the public to be extra careful about how they get rid of things such as cigarette ends. Please don’t throw them out car windows.”
The incident was the second large fire in Moray in less than 24 hours.
On Sunday evening, crews were called to a blaze that had been started deliberately at a property near Lhanbryde.
A member of the public alerted the fire brigade at 5.30pm after noticing smoke rising from a derelict two-storey steading, known as Pittensair.
A spokesman for the fire service described the building as being well alight by the time two engines from Elgin and a water-carrier from Buckie arrived at the scene.
Peter Larkworthy, a survey engineer who lives opposite the farm track leading to the steading, said: “I opened the gates so that the vehicles could gain access.
“The steading was well ablaze and the roof had collapsed in.
“It was tinder dry and there was straw about, which didn’t help matters. It all went up pretty quickly.”
A police spokesman said: “The fire is being treated as deliberate.
“Anyone with information should contact us on 101.”