THE Chief Fire Officer for Donegal yesterday (Thursday) paid tribute to fire officers and locals in Gweedore who helped contain a gorse fire.

Mr Frank Kerrane said there was a lot of concern in the area about the fire spreading to local houses but he said the fire service were always confident of bringing it under control.

Two fire brigade units, with the help of local people fought the blaze for over an hour and half to bring it under control.

"The fire broke out at around 3.30 p.m. It spread along an area from Meenaniller to Sheskinbeg- a distance of a few miles.

"The Gweedore crew called in Falcarragh for assistance and local people joined in with beaters and shovels to bring the blaze under control," Mr Kerrane said.

"The fire spread quickly because the vegetation was so dry and there was a slight breeze which made for ideal burning conditions. There were concerns because the fire was near a local council housing estate and a school and there was a lot of smoke but the area was surrounded by roads and the local officers always knew they would contain it," he added.

The fire was put out by 5pm. Yesterday Mr Kerrane appealed to people to be careful in the countryside over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

"My advice to the public during this dry spell is to be very careful. The vegetation is ready to take off and a match or cigarette dropped on the ground can set off a fire," he warned.