Fire bosses this week warned of a “very high” risk of wildfires in Dumfries and Galloway due to the hot weather.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service issued the alert after a period of bright sunshine and little rain.
People who live, work or visit rural areas in particular are urged to take care to avoid fires breaking out.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Bruce Farquharson, said: “In a prolonged period of high temperatures, the risk of wildfires breaking out increases.
“At this time of year, the ground vegetation is a combination of green growth, with a relatively high moisture content, and dead vegetation lying on top which can easily ignite and spread quickly over a large area.
“Weather patterns this week show the eastern and southern Scotland areas at ‘very high’ risk of wildfires but, with sensible precautions, the public can play a crucial part in prevention.
“Taking some simple steps can prevent vast damage to the environment and protect emergency service workers from attending avoidable incidents.
“During the next few days, I would urge the public to avoid lighting fires outdoors but if you must, check for restrictions or permissions required by the landowner and make sure you use a fire safe pit or container that can be properly extinguished before you leave.
“We need people to be aware of how quickly things can get out of hand - the smallest outdoor ignition can spread rapidly and burn for days.
“Therefore, we are asking people to act responsibly when enjoying the outdoors and please think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.”
Firefighters were called to deal with a wildfire which broke out in woodland alongside the M74 near Moffat on Wednesday afternoon.
Four crews were dispatched to put out the blaze, which is thought to have started at around 2pm just north of the Upper Annandale town.
They were due to carry out a follow-up inspection yesterday.
Record breaking temperatures have been recorded across the UK this week and in Dumfries and Galloway they reached 32.3C at Eskdalemuir and 31.2C at Threave on Tuesday.
A recent report revealed there were more than twice as many deliberate fires across Dumfries and Galloway last summer than the year before.
The service launched a #SaferSummer campaign last month to raise awareness of the dangers of deliberate fire-setting and promote the need for holidaymakers and countryside users to remain safe this summer.
