Minister blames 'human activity' for fire at Killarney National Park
Minister for nature, heritage and biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan has blamed the outbreak of a wildfire, which damaged parts of Killarney National Park in Co. Kerry on 'human activity'.
The blaze was brought under control by fire crews yesterday evening (Tuesday, July 15) after several hours of fire spread.
It's understood about 15ha of land has been damaged or destroyed.
“The devastating fire in Killarney National Park is not a natural disaster – it is caused by human activity, not nature," Minister O'Sullivan said.
“For days, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has been battling fires, including incidents believed to have been started by the reckless use of disposable barbecues. This is utterly unacceptable.
“Lighting fires or using disposable barbecues in a National Park or any wild area is not carelessness, it is gross irresponsibility – especially during a heatwave.
"It is a crime against nature, against local communities and against future generations who have the right to inherit these precious landscapes intact," the minister added.
Kerry County Council had advised the public to avoid the area of 5 Mile Bridge on the N71 Killarney-Kenmare road due to the fire at Killarney National Park.
The N71 was closed between Molls Gap and Muckross House for a period of time.
Fire risk
The minister has again urged people enjoying the heatwave spell of weather to leave places as they were found and leave no trace'.
"As Minister for nature, I take a zero-tolerance attitude towards lighting fires in our national parks and wild places," O'Sullivan continued.
"The damage to biodiversity, wildlife, livelihoods and public safety can be – and too often is – catastrophic.
“My heartfelt thanks go to the NPWS staff, firefighters and emergency services who have worked tirelessly, often in extremely difficult conditions, to contain this fire and protect one of Ireland’s greatest natural assets.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) yesterday issued another 'Condition Orange' warning, indicating a high fire risk.
The warning came into effect at 2:00p.m on Monday (July 13) and is due to remain in place until 12:00p.m on Friday (July 17).
The department said that arising from continued high temperature weather patterns a high fire risk is deemed to exist in all areas where hazardous fuels such as dead grasses and shrub fuels such as heather and gorse exist.
All forest owners and managers are being advised to prepare for likely outbreaks of fire.
Other fires
Meanwhile, Westmeath Fire and Rescue Service crews attended the scene of a significant forest fire in the Milltownpass area, adjacent to the M6 motorway on Monday evening (July 13).
Fire crews from Mullingar Fire Station and Kilbeggan Fire Station initially responded to the incident shortly after 9:00a.m on Monday and worked alongside partner agencies to bring the fire under control.
The firefighting operation has been supported by Bord na Móna, Executive Helicopters, and Civil Defence, whose drone capability provided valuable aerial support in monitoring conditions and directing resources during the incident.
The fire is currently under control. However, large areas continue to smoulder and Westmeath Fire and Rescue Service crews were in attendance again yesterday (Tuesday, July 14) carrying out dampening-down operations and monitoring for any potential flare-ups.
While the M6 motorway is currently open to traffic, motorists are encouraged to remain aware of ongoing emergency service activity in the area and to follow any traffic management measures that may be in place.operations continue.
Cork City Fire Brigade meanwhile was called upon to tackle a “significant” gorse fire on Monday that threatened to spread to nearby houses.
The fire service said: “Crews have been in attendance assisting our colleagues Cork County Fire at a significant gorse fire in Crosshaven.
“Firefighters worked tirelessly alongside each other for over four hours to bring the incident under control.
“Thanks to their coordinated efforts, the fire was successfully prevented from spreading to nearby homes, protecting local residents and property.”
Kildare County Council's Fire Service also confirmed it was called out to a hayfield fire in Tomard, Athy, Co. Kildare over the weekend.
The fire service told Agriland that it attended the field fire on Saturday (July 11).
It said: "Appliances from Athy and Stradbally (Laois Fire Service) were on scene from approximately 3:00pm to 5:15p.m.
"The fire service used a combination of beaters, backpack sprayers and hose lines to extinguish the fire."
It said that there is no indication as to the cause of the fire.
Weather confitions
Yesterday, Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon urged farmers to take necessary steps to protect animals during the current spell of hot weather.
The minister's intervention comes as Met Éireann issued an additional Status Yellow weather warning for high temperatures across most of the country in the coming days.
Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Niall Collins has also warned of the need for vigilance on the possible outbreak of fires in rural areas.
Commenting on animal welfare, Minister Heydon said: "The current high temperatures affecting Ireland can pose a risk to both pets and livestock.
"It is important that farmers, horse and pet owners take steps to protect their charges during high temperatures to avoid serious health and welfare problem arising due to the heat," he added.
