An isolated island off the coast of Scotland has been left without firefighters because they refuse to shave their beards in honor of a Viking festival to be held on Tuesday.

The fire station on Bressay island, part of Scotland's Shetland islands, has been closed for the upcoming Up Helly Aa festival, an annual celebration of the history of the Vikings on the Shetland islands.

The firefighters- all two of them- say they cannot work because the facial hair they have grown in preparation for the celebration prevents them from wearing breathing apparatuses, the BBC reported.

Locals on the 360-resident island are outraged at the firefighters' decision, mainly because they are needed to watch over the high point of the celebration- the burning of a replica of a Viking galley, the BBC reported.

"Its absolutely crazy that two firefighters can go down this route and hold the fire service to account," Allison Duncan, vice-chairman of the Shetland community safety forum told the Shetland Times. "They are putting one night's pleasure in Bressay before their duties."

Duncan told the Shetland Times that if the men don't shave, the island will be without fire coverage for the next two months. Shetland officials are making every effort to get the firefighters to cooperate, including trying to convince one of them to shave.

"I have to say that senior management [at the fire service] have tried to make compromises with the fire fighters but without success. I can assure you they have gone the golden mile plus" Duncan told the Shetland Times.

The Up Helly Aa festival is said to be Europe's largest fire festival. According to the Shetland Times, four firefighters are needed to operate the equipment. The missing two members means the whole team cannot work.

But the two firefighters won't budge. Both firemen have had disciplinary action taken out against them.

Firefighters from Lerwick, capital of the Shetland islands, will be provided to preside over the festival.