40 soldiers help with Donegal wildfires battle

Forty soldiers are supporting fire crews in Donegal as they battle wildfires for a sixth day.

The troops have been dispatched to Muckish mountain near Falcarragh in the north of the county, one of the areas worst hit by gorse blazes.

Soldiers are also on stand-by to be deployed to the Glenties region further south as the Donegal Fire Service assesses the situation.

Three Air Corps helicopters are operating in Donegal, using special buckets to drop more than 1,200 litres of water at a time on burning gorse, heather and bogland.

The Defence Forces said more than 250,000 litres have been dumped on fires in the county using the choppers.

Elsewhere, in Offaly bog fires have eased. Bord na Mona said it was dealing with fires near Ballinagar but the wind is not as strong and blazes are more easily contained.

Met Éireann has forecast that much needed rain will move in from the west today.

Further troops are on stand-by around the country to assist local authorities if requested.

Meanwhile in Antrim, a man was reportedly seen with a petrol can close to one of the worst gorse fires for years in the Mourne Mountains, police said.

Another two youths were spotted lighting fires in south Armagh, reports to the PSNI added.