Watch: Fire crews praised for halting spread of West Cork blaze

Fire crews have been praised for preventing a gorse fire in West Cork — described as the largest in the area for almost 26 years — from spreading to homes, a hotel, and forestry.

Several units of Cork County Fire Service were stood down yesterday morning after some 40 firefighters spent several hours overnight tackling the massive blaze which ripped across some 350-acres of upland around the Gougane Valley area.

It is believed the fire may have started in the Bealick area late on Saturday, but it reached a critical point around midnight on Sunday — as it raged across uplands above 200m — when it looked like it might reach forestry and the national park.