Updated 10.25pm
FIRE AND AMBULANCE services in the capital have been out since earlier this evening to keep up with emergency calls this evening.
It is understood that responders at Dublin Fire Brigade alone were receiving up to a dozen calls each, every few minutes.
The service, who are live tweeting events tonight, say that are battling a large industrial fire near the Collinstown Business Park in Swords.
There are currently three pumps in attendance, with more on the way.
Large volumes of smoke from the fire are close the flight path of Dublin Airport.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie this evening, the Irish Aviation Authority at Dublin Airport said that Dublin Fire Brigade are dealing with the fire and that it is well away from the airport. They added that the fire was having no impact on the flight path into Dublin Airport this evening.
Earlier this evening, the fire brigade and Garda Síochána attended the scene of a “large bonfire” in the O’Devaney Gardens section of Smithfield, in the north inner city.
The fire sent plumes of black smoke into the sky above the north quays, as seen in these photos.
One union has this afternoon pleaded with the public not to attack or harass emergency services staff on what looks set to be an exceptionally busy night in Dublin and throughout the country.
In a statement, John Kidd, chairman of the Irish Fire and Emergency Services Association, appealed to parents to make sure their children “understand and respect the role of firefighters in protecting communities.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the location of a fire as being “at Collinstown Business Park.” This was inaccurate. The fire was next to this facility, not at it.
Additional reporting Nicky Ryan and Christina Finn
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