A huge wildfire has broken out in a Northumberland wood.
Firefighters received a report of a wildfire at 12.07pm on Friday in Kyloe Woods, just off the C18 road, in north Northumberland.
Crews are currently still at the scene with six fire engines, two 4x4 units and 38 firefighters in attendance from both the Northumberland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. A drone mobile is also being used to track the fire from the sky.
The fire has currently spread across an area of approximately 40,000 sq m.
The Mountain Rescue Service and Northumbria Police are also assisting in the operation and the police have said they anticipate the wildfire to last throughout the weekend.
In a tweet, the force said "it's anticipated that the operation will continue for several days."
A spokesperson for the force said: "Northumbria Police is supporting firefighters at Kyloe Woods, Northumberland.
"We would advise people to avoid the woods for the rest of the weekend."
It is not known how the fire started, but Northumberland County Council has said an investigation will be carried out to determine the cause.
Last week, the council issued a warning that discarded cigarettes and abandoned campfires or barbecues can spark dangerous wildfires.
The fire service anticipates that they will be at the scene for some hours, and it urged members of the public to stay away from the area.
Stephen Kennedy, emergency response group manager at Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service said: “This fire only serves to demonstrate how quickly fires can develop in dry conditions in wooded or heathland areas.
“They can cause considerable damage to our wildlife and natural environment which can take many years to recover from a wildfire.
“We continually urge everyone to be wildfire alert, respect the Countryside Code and please don’t light fires and barbeques.
“We ask that members of the public stay away from the Kyloe Woods area at this time.”
