Mrs Erskine said, “The devastation of this fire is massive in scale and is upsetting. It has been awful to witness from a distance the loss of habitat and the potential danger in the area. The fire can be seen from where I live and many have been shocked and saddened to see such a huge fire in the area.
Since the fire there has been a stench of smoke in the area, large clouds of smoke and indeed ash has blown to neighbouring areas.
I want to place on record my thanks to the NI Fire and Rescue Service and the Police for their continued work in tackling the blaze and protecting the community from harm. Crews have come from across Northern Ireland and have been working around the clock to bring the fire under control.
It is testament to the community spirit that Clogher Valley Free Presbyterian Church have enabled the emergency services to set up a base at their facilities. I want to congratulate them on giving their building freely and assisting in this way.
Whilst the cause of the fire will be fully investigated, I think this should be a wakeup call to those who think lighting fires is some kind of game. I urge the public to be vigilant. Do everything possible to ensure no further pressure is placed upon the Fire Service and stay away from the epicentre of the fires. Road closures are in place to ensure our emergency services and vehicles can navigate the narrow country roads to reach the fire.”