The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has issued a Condition Orange warning signifying high fire risk until June 6.
The department said the announcement is a result of current weather patterns which see a high fire risk deemed to exist in “all areas where hazardous fuels such as dead grasses and shrub fuels such as heather and gorse exist”.
It previously issued a Condition Orange high-fire-risk warning last week, which expires today (Monday, May 29) at 6:00p.m. This new risk condition will expire at 6:00p.m on June 6, unless otherwise stated.
It warned that westerly high-pressure-dominated weather will induce “settled weather and higher temperatures across Ireland in coming days”.
Farmers and forests
DAFM also issued advice to forest owners and managers amid the new fire-risk warning, highlighting that they are all advised to “prepare for likely outbreaks of fire”.
“Fire lines, fire plans, fire suppression equipment should be reviewed and made ready and other relevant contingencies such as insurance, helicopter contracts etc., checked and confirmed,” it said.
The department said forest owners, farmers, rural dwellers and other countryside users should be extremely vigilant regarding fire activity.
For forest owners and managers, DAFM recommends putting fire mitigation measures in place to help prevent loss or damage to forest resources through fire.
DAFM’s recommended measures include:
- Risk assessment – assessing a property’s fire risk and mitigation factors;
- Being adequately prepared for fire;
- Vigilance;
- Obeying the law. It is an offence to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated between March 1 and August 31 in any year;
- The immediate reporting of fires;
- Reporting losses to the local Gardai station and to DAFM’s Johnstown Castle Estate in Co. Wexford.
The department also issued advice to members of the public and visitors to recreational areas to cooperate with all its requests regarding fire safety.
This includes obeying all relevant bye-laws and being “considerate in parking vehicles so as not to impede access by emergency vehicles”.
Where fire outbreaks occur at or near recreational areas, DAFM said, the following actions should be taken:
- Do not light fires in and around forests or open land;
- Do not attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances;
- Gather all family/group members and move to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire;
- Telephone Fire and Rescue Services via 112 and report the fire and its location;
- Evacuate if instructed to do so, and cooperate with all Emergency Service Instruction.