The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has engaged a specialist UK company to train staff in Killarney National Park on preventing and responding to wildfires.
The training is part of the action plan developed by the NPWS following a devastating blaze two years ago which resulted in thousands of hectares of the sensitive ecosystem being burned.
Following an investigation, Gardaí said that they were satisfied the fire was started accidentally and may have occurred for a number of reasons.
NPWS
As part of its response to the 2021 fire, the NPWS has purchased vehicles fitted with water pumps, along with the latest technology, including thermal surveillance.
It also has a drone operator and helicopter on standby to ensure that the response from emergency crews to any fire is immediate.
This week, staff began training with chartered rural surveyor and forester, Rob Gazzard who has worked in fire resilience for more than 20 years and had advised the UK government on the issue.
Commenting on the action plan, regional manager of the NPWS southern division, Eamonn Meskell, said:
“We are liaising with four international groups on best practices, early smoke and fire detection appliances capable of spotting a fire outbreak, will ensure our staff and Kerry County Council fire services will be able to respond and prevent a repeat of the 2021 devastation in the park, when over 2,500ha were destroyed.”
He added that NPWS management and staff meet regularly with the fire services and a detailed safety plan of the park is ready.
“A helicopter company is on retainer, in the event of another fire, it will carry specialised Bambi buckets, capable of delivering water for aerial firefighting,” Meskell said.
Last year, there were 1.7 million visitors to Killarney National Park which has the most extensive covering of native forest remaining in Ireland.
The park is of high ecological value because of the quality, diversity, and extensiveness of many of its habitats and the wide variety of species that they accommodate.
Killarney National Park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1982 and also forms part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).