By 
THE Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) are scaling down operations after battling the Ballygawley gorse fire for over eight hours.
The fire which extended over a mile between Ballygawley and Sixmilecross was attended to by 80 firefighters and 15 appliances.
A spokesperson said, “We received a report of a gorse fire at the Whitebridge Road at 1.57pm and over the duration of today it extended around a mile.
“We had 15 appliances and 80 firefighters attend throughout the day, with units from Pomeroy, Dungannon, Clogher, Fintona, Strabane, Cookstown, Armagh, Maghera, Castlederg, Portstewart, Ballyclare, Carrick, Ballymoney and Magherafelt, along with a command support unit.”
The spokesperson added, “We are scaling down the operation and will be monitoring the area overnight. Assessments of the site will begin in the morning.”
“An amber weather warning remains in place for wildfires. Please stay vigilant to the risk of fire in the countryside and continue to follow our safety advice. If you see a fire, call 999 immediately.”