A huge wildfire broke out near a Scots village this evening.
Emergency services raced to Patna in East Ayrshire after the alarm was raised at around 8.35pm on Thursday, April 21.
Fire crews scrambled to the blaze, which is currently burning in an area described as "a long distance" from the nearest road.
Firefighters attended, but as darkness fell they had to leave due to safety fears.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service told the Record they would be returning to the scene in daylight hours.
Dramatic pictures taken from near Patna show a large orange glow past houses in the village.
Huge flames can be seen as the fire burns, with plumes of smoke billowing up into the sky.
It's understood the blaze broke out in a field which we previously reported to be burning with a lava-like substance flowing underneath.
In January the Record told how locals in Patna had been urged to stay away after it was declared a ‘serious risk to life’ by a worried dad who captured the smouldering soil.
Despite temperatures plummeting to below freezing at the start of the year, the field continued to burn with smoke pouring out from beneath the scorched ground.
On Thursday night a spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed: "We have attended but we've had to come away from it because it is dark and not safe.
"The fire is a long distance from the road.
"The original call came in at 20.36 and we will be re-attending in the daylight hours."
On Friday morning fire chiefs confirmed that officers did return to Patna.
Within half an hour the blaze had been put out and crews left the scene soon after.
A spokeswoman told the Record: "We returned to the scene at 6.30am on Friday.
"The fire was extinguished and crews left at 7am."
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