POLICE are investigating a fire at Prestonhill Quarry in Inverkeithing last week.
Emergency services raced to the scene last Wednesday.

A large, grassy area and surrounding trees were ablaze at the quarry near Preston Crescent in Inverkeithing.

Police closed the Fife Coastal Path between Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing as fire crews battled the blaze. 

READ MORE: Dangerous 'tombstoning' at Prestonhill Quarry as heatwave sees nearly 200 visitors

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with a fire in the Preston Terrace area of Inverkeithing around 5.40pm on Wednesday 20 July 2022.

“The blaze is being treated as wilful and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 5.33pm on Wednesday, 20 July, to reports of a large area of grass and trees alight near Preston Crescent, Inverkeithing.

“Operations Control mobilised three appliances to the scene to extinguish the fire and make the area safe.

“There were no reported casualties.”

Last week, the Press reported that as many as 200 people were spotted near the water on July 18 with youngsters said to be ‘tombstoning’, jumping from the cliffs.

Former Inverkeithing councillor Alice McGarry told the Press: “Goodness knows where they all come from but they all seem to get off the number seven bus at the top of Spittalfield Road and hundreds of them wander down there at various hours of the day.

“It’s like waves of children coming and going.

“I think the gathering around the quarry this past week has exceeded anything I have ever known in my 20 years down that street.”

In the wake of the fire there was a large amount of rubbish left. While it has not been confirmed what started the fire, she said it was important that visitors took care when they visit large, dry, grassy areas.

She continued: “You can see from all the debris that’s lying around that the kids have had portable barbecues and stuff like that. 

“These things are fairly dangerous, unless they’re operated on stones, they tend to be very difficult to control once they’ve started.”

One resident, who did not want to be named, saw the resultant damage and the area still smoking in some places this morning (Thursday), despite the fire being extinguished last night. 

They said: “I was up the hill with the dogs this morning, there are scorch circles and litter everywhere. The damage looks awful.”

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the blaze, but they fear for the wildlife that will suffer from the destruction of the green space.

“The folks in the cottages at Preston Terrace must’ve been terrified! 

“It’s so sad when you think of all the wildlife – we used to see deer and so many lovely colourful insects. 

“The whole place is a tinderbox just now, the fields adjacent are full of wheat and long, dry grass.” 

Police Scotland have confirmed that the coastal path has since re-opened.