Hikers flee iconic British landmark as emergency services tackle huge wildfire

Fire crews are battling a blaze at the iconic Arthur's Seat landmark in Edinburgh as hikers flee from thick smoke and flames.Emergency services received more than 180 emergency calls from residents as the bank holiday heatwave grips the UK.A spokesman said fire crews were called to reports of the “grass on fire” near the St Anthony's Chapel ruins at 6.18pm.They said one fire appliance is at the scene and two more have been dispatched. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Troubling footage shared to social media depicts thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky, with visible flames and scorch marks spreading across the slanted grassland in the area of Holyrood Park.Hikers can be seen fleeing the landmark area, which attracts some 3.5 million visitors each year.The cause of the blaze is currently unknown.The fire comes as the city feels the heat during the current sunny spell, with a maximum temperature of 25C recorded in Edinburgh by the Met Office.The fire service have asked the public to cease contacting them about the fire, as they struggle to cope with the large volume of calls.In a statement, a spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are currently in attendance at an incident on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMurder investigation launched after woman killed in Sheffield bar shootingBeach tragedy as man dies on packed seafront on hottest day of yearTrain driver praised for remarkable act of heroism after leaping to rescue dog hanging off platform“Operations Control has mobilised three appliances to the scene. People are being asked to avoid the area as crews work to extinguish a large grass fire.“There is no further need to alert our Operations Control to this incident as we have already received a large volume of calls.”It follows a fire at Arthur's Seat in August of last year, where flames spread rapidly across the hill, with the area evacuated and no reported casualties.Fire chiefs at the time believed the blaze was due to human activity.During the Edinburgh Marathon at the weekend, severa runners were treated for heat exhaustion.The Scottish Ambulance Service said 16 people were taken to hospital on Sunday.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter