Three fire brigade units from Wicklow and Arklow fought a serious gorse fire at the popular seaside resort of Brittas Bay for nearly three hours before bringing it under control yesterday evening.
No one was hurt in the fire, which locals said may have been started by a unextinguished barbecue in a nearby car park at approximately 5pm.
However, there was extensive damage to the surrounding gorse area, stretching over approximately one square mile. Earlier, officers battling the blaze had also been concerned about a number of mobile homes. But none of these suffered serious damage as a result of the incident, which was brought under control at approximately 8pm last night.
Local resident Paul Leahy, whose house was surrounded by the flames, described his efforts to stop the blaze from destroying his home.
"The flames were licking the garage here behind me," he told The Irish Times. "I was not scared for our lives but more for our house."
Mr Leahy, who also owns a nearby caravan park, said he was concerned that this might be destroyed in the fire as well. He and his wife, Diane, first noticed the blaze at about 5pm. After moving their two dogs inside the house, they focused on securing their cars, which were parked in a nearby garage.
Eventually, the two residents were helped as officers tackled the blaze.
"I was certain the shed would go up in flames," Mr Leahy said. "I'll be watching the place on a daily basis from now on."
Local firefighters at the scene said yesterday's fire was the third such incident in the past number of weeks, reflecting the risks of naked fires around the severely dried-out gorse following the recent good weather.
Mr Leahy's wife, Diane, said there was also a lot of wildlife in the surrounding area, including pheasants, rabbits and foxes, all of which might have suffered as a result of the blaze.
A Garda spokesman was unable to confirm reports last night that three people were being questioned by local gardai in relation to the incident.