Firefighters respond to Co Tyrone house fire and east Antrim shed incidents

In an operational update on Friday (April 11), a Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) spokesperson said: “We are currently in attendance at a gorse fire in Brookeborough, Lisnaskea.

"We received the initial call at 1.58pm this afternoon. There are currently six fire appliances and 33 firefighters in attendance.

“Firefighters have continued to respond to other emergency incidents including a house fire in Dungannon and shed fires in Greenisland, Carrickfergus and in the Millbrook area of Larne.

“With the weather warning still in place, we are reminding the public to adhere to our fire safety advice. Please stay vigilant to fire in the countryside. If you see a fire, call 999.”

NIFRS is urging the public to adhere to the following advice to prevent fires in the countryside:

• Avoid using open fires in the countryside. An open fire can easily get out of control;
• Extinguish cigarettes and other smoking materials properly and don’t throw cigarette ends on the ground or out of car windows;
• Only use barbeques in a suitable and safe area and never leave them unattended;
• Ensure barbeques are fully extinguished and cold before disposing of their contents;
• Don’t leave bottles or glass in woodland or grassland. Take them home or dispose in a waste or recycling bin;
• Be considerate in parking vehicles so you don’t impede access for emergency vehicles;
• Keep children away from lighters, matches and open fires;
• Don’t attempt to tackle fires that can’t be extinguished with a bucket of water – leave the area as quickly as possible;
• If you see a fire in the countryside, report it to NIFRS immediately by calling 999;
• If you see someone setting fires, report it to the PSNI.

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