Two helicopters hauling tons of loch water stopped a devastating wildfire from being catastrophic.

People in isolated properties were on standby to run for their lives as the fierce blaze engulfed hillsides.

Residents and anglers had packed up valuables and were prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice overnight on Saturday.

A major power line was also in danger of being engulfed before the helicopters doused the surrounding grass.

The scale and speed of the fire - swept on by 30mph winds and tinderbox grass and heather - shocked rescuers.

People as far away as Maybole had to close their windows as the smoke blew in.

One resident said: “It was really, really scary. I have never experienced anything like it. The fire was everywhere and we were ready to leave.”

And forest steward Archie McNeillie revealed: “If we did not have the helicopters I hate to think what have happened.”

Ten square miles of moor, from the head of Loch Doon to the upper banks of Ayrshire’s water supply Loch Bradan, was destroyed.

The blaze ripped through Loch Doon

Fortunately the nest site of the Loch Doon ospreys was nowhere near the flames.

The main forest drive between Loch Doon and the Falls of Stinchar is credited with halting the fire’s spread south.

At the one point it jumped the drive but the flames were beaten by the Carrick Lane river.

Dead grass and several weeks of dry weather gave vast amounts of fuel to the fire. There is no grazing or controlled burning, which would have prevented spread, in the area.

Flames came within yards of destroying the play park which overlooks Loch Riecawr.

They wiped out a lecking spot for black grouse and could have claimed the lives of young birds, rabbits and deer.

Fortunately only a small percentage of the valuable timber crop was damaged.

Several fishing lodges were at risk of being in the path of the flames.

Scorched land has been left behind

Forestrymen directed aircraft to dump the water, lifted from Loch Skelloch, to protect these and other rural buildings.

Archie McNeillie, area warden for Forestry and Land Scotland, was among nine staff called out to help at first light on Sunday.

A staffer from Dalmellington was first to get called out to investigate with fire and police on Saturday night.

But he said: “It was clear from the start this was bigger than anything we could handle.

“The wind was so strong and we could not control it manually. That’s when we got the copters in.

“The area is huge, 24 square kilometres.”

Forestry workers John Coughtrie, left and Archie McNeillie show the area affected on a map.

Archie, who starred in the BBC2 series The Forest with his sidekick John ‘Cool’ Coughtrie, said 80 per cent of the damage was open moorland.

He said: “There are some trees damaged by the fire.

“The fire was funnelling up the river from Loch Doon to Ballochbeaties and came into a pinch-point. We just couldn’t stop it.

“The two choppers came up in the nick of time to stall it. Had they not it would have gone into the Tairlaw Plantation.”

Earlier overground and underground power lines at the Loch Finlas side were under threat and the helicopters had to contain that first.

As late as lunchtime on Monday there were still wisps of smoke rising but there was no fuel to make it spread.

An incident command centre was switched from Dalmellington on Saturday to the foot of the road to Loch Bradan treatment works on Sunday.

Wild campers near a car park at the top of Loch Doon are being hunted.

Police will only officially say they are investigating but the blame is being pinned on three young men seen with a car next to a well-known trouble spot.

A police spokesman said: “We are working with Scottish Fire and Rescue to establish the cause of the fire.”