FIREFIGHTERS HAVE EXTINGUISHED the gorse fire in Glencree valley, Wicklow County Council has said in a statement on social media this evening. 

Firefighting operations were underway this morning after a gorse fire developed in the valley and a helicopter was called to take a survey of the situation.

The Military Road was closed while firefighters tried to bring the fire under control and while large quantities of smoke were present in the area.

Wicklow County Council has said that the area will remain closed this evening due to the ongoing presence of smoke.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement issued this evening, Tipperary County Council has said that firefighting operations on Slievenamon remain ongoing.

Response agencies are continuing to make steady progress in containing and suppressing wildfire activity across the mountain.

The multi-agency response remains fully operational, with resources deployed to address emerging hotspots and localised flare-ups.

The statement says that following a reduction in fire activity in recent days, the blaze increased today on the southern side of Slievenamon, where crews are actively engaged.

“The primary operational focus continues to be on the north-eastern side of the mountain, while surveillance is being maintained across the wider area to ensure any emerging fire activity is identified and addressed promptly,” the statement reads.

“As operations move into a more intensive ground-based firefighting phase, specialist equipment continues to support crews working in challenging terrain, assisting access, containment and extinguishment efforts,” it added.

Current weather conditions remain broadly unchanged, and wind direction continues to result in intermittent smoke affecting areas to the east of Slievenamon.

Residents, particularly those with respiratory conditions, are advised to take appropriate precautions where smoke is present.

All responding agencies remain fully committed to the ongoing operation and continue to monitor conditions closely.