Fallen power line may have contributed to large grass fire that burned overnight in Moray

A fallen power line may have contributed to a large fire in a coastal village in Moray.

Six fire engines and a wildfire unit were sent to the scene of the fire in Hopeman on Tuesday.

Four fire appliances and specialist resources remained on the scene to dampen down hotspots into Wednesday.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has said it believes an overhead power line that fell to the ground may have contributed to the blaze.

They are now working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service following a fault in the network in the Hopeman area.

A spokesperson said: “The fault resulted in an overhead power line falling to the ground, and we believe this potentially contributed to the fire, which has affected crops and gorse in the area.

“Our Rapid Response Teams were on site quickly to aid the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and we isolated parts of the network to help their work in extinguishing the fire.

“The cause of this fault is currently under investigation.”

Locals reported that more than 1,000 homes were without power in the area, with the West Beach Caravan Park saying on social media that power lines running through the area were switched off.