Northern Ireland

Around 50 firefighters battle gorse fire at Tollymore Forest Park

A gorse fire has broken out at Tollymore Forest Park
A gorse fire has broken out at Tollymore Forest Park A gorse fire has broken out at Tollymore Forest Park

Around 50 firefighters are battling a gorse fire at Tollymore Forest Park in Co Down.

The fire at the park near Bryansford in Co Down broke out at around 9pm yesterday.

The north has been hit by a string of gorse fires during an unseasonably dry April and May.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Car parks at forests and country parks to reopen next WednesdayOpens in new window ]

The fire comes as it was announced that forests and country parks owned by the Department of Agriculture, including Tollymore and Glenariff, are to reopen their car parks on Wednesday of next week.

Parks owned by the department have been closed to the public since late March in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.