Fire fighters worked into the early hours last night to put out a fire on the mountains near Lough Eske, Donegal.
The fire started on Monday evening, and local fire brigades were joined at the scene by crews from surrounding areas including units from Donegal Town, Stranorlar and Ballyshannon. The fire affected a large part of the mountain, spreading across the Tawnawilly area of Lough Eske.
This was one of ten fires that were treated by Donegal Fire Services on May 1, with 19 wildfires in total over the bank holiday weekend.
As always, there is a high risk of gorse fires at this time of year due to little undergrowth and dry weather. Farmers, and the general public, are reminded that it is illegal to burn land that is not cultivated between March 1 and August 31, under the Wildlife Amendment Act 2000.
People are reminded not to start fires in any open place, and to not discard cigarettes or matches. These fires could endager lives and could put property and livestock at risk. The emergency services ask anyone who suspects that a fire is out of control to call 999 or 112 immediately.
