Investigation into cause of gorse fire which resulted in homes evacuated in Waterford city

Sarah Slater

An investigation is underway by gardaí and fire services into the cause of an extensive gorse fire on the edge of Waterford City resulting in a number of homes having to be evacuated.

Waterford Fire Service tackled the extensive fire in the Williamstown area close to the Deerpark estate on the Outer Ring Road at around 3.30pm on Wednesday.

Several houses were engulfed in smoke and were evacuated as firefighters attempted to bring the blaze under control. Flames of more than 20ft in height could be seen and came very close to at least 10 semi-detached homes.

Fire units spent several hours at the scene and late last night continued to dampen down the area.

There were traffic delays in the area as a result of the fire.

In a statement garda said they and emergency services attended the scene of a fire at an outdoor location in the Williamstown area in Waterford.

Ambulance units from nearby University Hospital Waterford (UHW) also attended the scene. No injuries were reported.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire to break out and if a previous fire along the same site two weeks ago are linked.

A spokesperson for Waterford City and County Council confirmed that units of Waterford Fire Service responded to a gorse fire on rough ground in the Williamstown area on Wednesday evening.

Crews from Waterford City, Tramore and Dunmore East attended the scene and immediately set about protecting surrounding property before extinguishing the fire.

“In consultation with An Garda Siochana a local road was closed for a period of time. The incident occurred in challenging conditions but was successfully managed thanks to the response and coordinated efforts of our fire personnel,” the spokesperson continued.

The council reminded the public of the serious risk during hot weather posed by discarded smoking material, glass bottles or other items that could ignite dry vegetation, and to avoid lighting fires or barbecues in areas of open ground.

“Public vigilance plays a vital role in preventing wildfires and protecting our communities,” the council noted.