Fire breaks had to be set up today to protect a 50ac corn field from the spread of gorse and forest fires, according to a tweet on the official Twitter account of Meath County Fire and Rescue Service.
Both the fire service and Coillte have been battling to prevent the spread of fires in the Frayne Bog near Kildalkey, Co. Meath, over the past number of days.
The fire service monitored the conditions of the fire both from the ground and the air throughout the day in order to assess the risk to properties. It stated earlier today that there was no risk to any residential properties.
@MCCFireService continuing to monitor from the ground and the air assessing risks to property & react to developments at Frayne Bog. Additional measures such as fire breaks continue to be put in place. Residents are reminded to remain vigilant. The public are asked to keep cle pic.twitter.com/8SZxXfmZ6D
— Meath Fire Service (@MCCFireService) July 2, 2018
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Drones have been used to monitor the situation from the air. A helicopter has also been drafted in to help battle the blaze – it can drop 400L of water per trip, with a turnaround time for refilling equalling approximately three minutes, according to the fire servie.
Residents were asked to remain vigilant by the fire service and people were encouraged to keep clear of any areas affected by the fire.
Image source: Meath County Fire and Rescue Service Twitter
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued a Condition Red forest fire danger rating earlier today.
Arising from current prolonged high pressure weather patterns, high temperatures and effective drought conditions, an extreme fire risk is deemed to exist in all areas where hazardous fuels exist, the department explained.