Photographers Comments
A firefighter beats out the flames in a hillfire that broke out in the dry bracken on the slopes of the Campsie Fells this afternoon.

While i was out in the garden this afternoon i heard sirens screaming in the distance, and getting closer. As they never passed my house, the only other place they could go is to the Campsie Fells, which is always a worry (some of you may be aware of the tragic news recently of two young boys found dead in the boot of a car - well, that happened half a mile or so from where todays fire broke out, and on the same road, all within view of my house). Looking towards the Campsies, there was a huge plume of smoke, with pretty wild looking flames, so it was a case of grab the camera and run (at that point i wasn't sure exactly what had happened - it could have been a car crash that caused it, for all i knew)!

It is likely that the fire was caused by a cigarette being thrown out of a car window. No damage to human life, but devastating for many birds that nest on the slopes of the hills.