Gorse wildfires in Co Antrim no longer in major incident status, NIFRS says
Gorse wildfires in Co Antrim are no longer in major incident status, the Northern Ireland Fire & Service (NIFRS) has said.
The NIFRS has resumed normal operational response across the province following three days of wildfires and other emergency incidents.
From Wednesday to Friday, NIFRS received 716 emergency calls and attended 318 incidents, with 96 of these being wildfire incidents.
Over 500 fire appliances, including specialist appliances, were mobilised.
The largest blaze was the wildfire at Ballyemon Road, Glenariff, Co Antrim, which the fire service was first called to around midday on Wednesday.
The Irish Air Corps was called in to assist with helicopters to drop water directly on the gorse fires.
Resources at Glenariff were scaled down on Friday afternoon but over 51 firefighters, eight officers, eight fire appliances, and five specialist appliances remain at the site.
NIFRS interim chief fire & rescue officer Andy Hearn thanked firefighters who had tackled the blaze, as well as the community for their support.
"Our firefighters have been working in extremely challenging and exhausting conditions during this major incident to bring these wildfires under control," he said.
"I would like to thank our firefighters for their exceptional work and commitment, working in intense conditions, in challenging terrain.
"I'd also like to pay tribute to the many others across the organisation who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to support the operational response, including our personnel in our Regional Control Centre and support staff.
"I would like to send our sincere thanks to our partner agencies, Northern Ireland Water, Forestry Service Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Skywatch NI, the Red Cross, Rapid Relief Team, the PSNI, and the Irish Air Corps who have supported our response.
"We are heartened and grateful for the support of our local community and the generosity in providing refreshments. Their support has been invaluable.
"I would also like to thank the public for supporting us during this critical time and ask that they continue to avoid areas where incidents are still ongoing.
"Please act safely, be responsible and vigilant when it comes to enjoying the countryside and follow our safety advice."
The gorse plant is made of 2-4% flammable oils and so is highly susceptible to fire in spells of long, dry weather.
The NIFRS reminded the public of safety when enjoying the countryside at this time of year.
They advise extinguishing cigarettes and other smoking materials properly and ensuring that barbecues are fully extinguished and cold before disposing of their contents.
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