Portadown: Firefighters remain at scene of Annaghmore fire

The fire on the Blackisland Road, Annaghmore, was reported on Saturday night

Firefighters have spent the night dealing with a large fire involving hay bales on the outskirts of Portadown, County Armagh.

The blaze on the Blackisland Road, Annaghmore, was reported at about 22:00 BST on Saturday.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) initially deployed 55 firefighters and six appliances to tackle the fire.

Four firefighting appliances were still at the scene at 17:00 BST on Sunday.

During the night firefighters worked to prevent embers spreading the blaze to nearby properties

NIFRS Group Commander Mark Smith told BBC Radio Ulster that when the fire was at its height, there were two large water tankers, a high-volume pump and a command support unit all in attendance.

"It was a very large fire and still is and continues to be because it's a large quantity of hay on fire and this takes a long time just to extinguish," he said.

There are a number of buildings close to the scene and during the night firefighters worked to prevent embers spreading the blaze to nearby properties.

Mr Smith added that at this stage, there was no indication of what caused the fire.

"We will do an investigation after the fire is completely out".

The road has been closed and motorists are advised to seek an alternative route.