Fire services in north Mayo say they are hopeful the bog and forest fire that has raged for four days can be extinguished tonight or early tomorrow.
Fire chief Seamus Murphy said the blaze had now been confined to one area of woodland, Gorthleatilla near Glenamoy, but it still has not been brought under control.
He said the situation would be monitored overnight.
Ten families who live close to the area said they still remained concerned at the danger of the fire reigniting.
Firefighters have been assisted by a helicopter dropping water on the fire.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's News At One, Mary Irvine, a resident of Glenamoy on the edge of the fire, said trenches have been dug to try to stop the fire getting closer to the houses.
The blaze has already destroyed at least 1,000 acres of forestry and caused in excess of €1m worth of damage. Its cause is not known.
Some of the woodland destroyed is owned by Ireland's largest forestry company, Coillte, and the rest by private forestry investors.
A much larger area of bogland and gorse-covered moor has also been extensively damaged.
Mr Murphy said the task of putting out the blaze was proving difficult because of the inaccessibility of the area and the roughness of the terrain.
Relays of firefighters from Belmullet, Ballina and Crossmolina have been at the scene since the fire broke out.
The fire zone is about 10km from the site of the Corrib Gas Refinery. Fire chiefs say the blaze does not pose any threat to it.
