Galway fire brigades were fighting an extensive gorse fire which forced the closure of the main Galway-Headford road. Similar outbreaks closed roads in Wicklow and Leitrim.
Four fire brigade units were involved in tackling the blaze across four to five miles of land between Ballindooley Castle and Clonboo. A water tanker was also sent in to assist with supplies.
Poor visibility due to extensive smoke and the proximity of the blaze to the Headford road influenced the decision to close the route at 4pm. This resulted in significant traffic back-ups on alternative routes out of the city.
A Galway city fire service spokesman said "forecast rain at the weekend can't come soon enough".
The fire is the latest gorse fire to put Galway fire services under pressure over the past three weeks of dry weather. A bird sanctuary was destroyed on the Headford road last Sunday, and plant and animal life has been adversely affected in a number of areas. A farmer at Dangan, near Tuam, sustained several thousand euro worth of damage when a fire swept through his farm shed.
Multiple gorse fires also forced the closure of the road between Sallygap and Lara Village in Wicklow from 6.15 pm yesterday.
Main Street in Kinlough, Co Leitrim, was closed from 6pm after a fire broke out at a building in the village. Bundoran to Manorhamilton traffic on the R280 was diverted until midnight as a result but AA Roadwatch said there was a chance the road would remain closed overnight.