HUNDREDS of acres of land have been burnt in a major gorse fire which took hold overnight in the Culacrick area of Annagry.
In the past hour fire crews from Dungloe, Gweedore, Falcarragh, Glenties and Killybegs have been successful in bringing the blaze under control, having been at the scene since 3.30am this morning.
One local described the fire as “massive” and said the major concern was that it had been burning for several hours and was nearing several houses.
As the fire spread rapidly, at least one family had to be evacuated from their home this morning amid fears that the blaze was nearing their house.
The fire has now been described as being “under control” but has destroyed hundreds of acres.
In the past week, now exhausted fire crews, have had to respond to more than 100 fires across the entire county.
Ground conditions continue to be extremely dry and the earliest forecast of rain is not expected until Sunday. In the meantime, landowners and members of the public are continually being urged to exercise vigilance to ensure that no further fires take hold.
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