Residents asked to close their windows with ongoing gorse fire

In a statement the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said: “NIFRS is currently dealing with a significant gorse fire in the Drumack Road area of Rasharkin. "

The spokesman said six appliances and specialist Wildfire Resources are currently at the scene.

"Firefighters have been tackling the fire for 24 hours in challenging conditions," he added.

"The size of the fire has fluctuated due to the direction and strength of the wind and the materials involved - heavy gorse and peat.

"The fire front is currently approximately 800m long.

“Smoke from the fire is impacting roads in the neighbouring area and we advise motorists to take care.

"Residents in the local area are advised to keep their windows closed.”