Crews from Waterford Fire Service attend another large fire in the city

Sarah Slater

Crews from Waterford Fire Service are attending another large fire in the city on Thursday.

The fire broke out in an area behind the former Waterford Crystal Leisure Centre site. Fire units from the city, along with gardaí, are at the scene.

It follows a large blaze in Williamstown on Wednesday afternoon, which resulted in the temporary evacuation of some residents from a neighbouring housing estate.

A yellow high-temperature weather warning has been issued for the entire country by Met Éireann.

It is valid from midday on Saturday until 6am on Sunday, with temperatures above 27°C being forecast.

Meanwhile, an investigation is underway by gardaí and fire services into the cause of the extensive gorse fire on the edge of Waterford City.

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 until late on Wednesday night and continued to dampen down the area.

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

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

Ambulance units from the 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 is 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 Síochána, 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.