Car bursts into flames on M11
ARKLOW and Wicklow Fire Service crews responded quickly to a vehicle on fire on the M11 on Saturday to prevent the incident from turning into a serious wildfire.
Wicklow and Rathdrum units also attended separate blazes in Rathdrum and Ballinastraw Woods on the same day in what has been the busiest summer for local fire services since 1995.
A BMW suffered engine failure at the Arklow junction on the M11 just before 12.30 p.m. on Saturday. The vehicle then suddenly burst into flames after the driver and only occupant had exited the car.
A section of the road was closed off for over half an hour as the fire services maintained the blaze and stopped the flames from taking hold elsewhere. The charred remains of the vehicle were then removed bytowtruck.
Rathdrum Fire Services spent over four hours battling a blaze in the heart of Ballinastraw Woods – the second fire to take place in the woodland area in recent weeks. The fire started right in the centre of the woods, making it difficult for the fire services to access.
While Rathdrum Fire Services were combating the incident at Ballinastraw, Wicklow Fire Services were deployed to manage a gorse fire in a field across the road from St Colman’s Hospital in Rathdum. The flames were threatening to spread to a nearby ditch but the unit from Wicklow managed to contain it after close to an hour and a half.