Wildfires break out in Tyrone and Antrim

Firefighters are continuing to tackle a large wildfire that broke out in County Tyrone on Tuesday evening.

Eight Fire Appliances with over 40 Firefighters were dispatched to the fire in the White Bridge area of Ballygawley.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has issued an appeal to the public to adhere to road closures and avoid the area while firefighting operations are taking place.

Four Fire Appliances remain at the scene.

Meanwhile, five Fire Appliances and over 35 Firefighters are battling a 120 m fire front on gorse at Black Mountain, overlooking Belfast.

A NIFRS spokesperson said, “Firefighters continued to respond to wildfire incidents overnight and attend other emergency calls across Northern Ireland. Our Regional Control Room received 330 calls yesterday; 41 of the 147 calls mobilised involved wildfires.”

“A yellow warning for wildfires remains in place. Please follow our fire safety advice and stay vigilant to the risk of fire in the countryside. If you see a fire, please call 999 immediately,” added the spokesperson.

Status Orange Alert

Meanwhile, a nationwide Status Orange ‘High’ Forest Fire Risk Warning for the Republic of Ireland has been extended until next Monday.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has requested landowners and the public to avoid all outdoor fires and other open ignition sources.

The past few days have seen fires break out in North Mayo and South Kerry.

Kerry Fire and Rescue Service responded to a large gorse fire between Sneem and Kenmare on the Iveragh Peninsula on Monday night.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area due to poor visibility as the Fire Service attempted to extinguish the fire.

Two popular County Mayo walking trails have been closed to the public after they incurred significant damage from two separate wildfires.

In the latest incident, units from Mayo Fire Service attended a large blaze at Wild Nephin National Park on Sunday evening.

The fire was brought under control on Monday afternoon by the Fire Service, with the assistance of personnel from Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Niall Ó Donnchú, director general, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said: “Anyone who engages in this reckless, senseless behaviour should carefully consider the consequences of their actions, and will be subject to the full rigour of the law.”