Series of scrub and gorse fires blamed on farmers

A series of scrub and gorse fires across the Republic from Ravensdale in Co Louth to Carraroe in Co Galway and as far south as Co Kerry at the weekend, is being blamed on farmers burning scrub outside the legal burning season.

At Carraroe in the Connemara Gaeltacht a widespread scrub fire on Saturday night damaged an electricity supply cable to the Aran Islands causing the three islands, and a population of about 1,200 people to lose power for about 90 minutes. A spokeswoman for the Bar in Kilronan village on Inis Mór said the villagers “just got on with it”.

The Carraroe fire happened at the same time as blazes in Loughrea, Clifden, Costello, Connemara, Tuam, Gort and Baile na hAbhann.

All the fires in Galway had been brought under control by Monday morning.

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At Ravensdale in Co Louth fire crews from Dundalk spent three hours battling a blaze overnight on Sunday to prevent it spreading to forestry land at Ravensdale. Firefighters had been called to Ballymakellett Wood at about 11pm. Earlier the same firefighters had responded to a blaze on the hill in Cox’s Demesne in Dundalk, where bushes had been set alight.

Dramatic sight

In Donegal, fires on the Ballyargus Hills presented a dramatic sight as again scrub and gorse burned. There were no homes in the immediate areas but Highland Radio reported that one of the fires was located close Lough Fad, which is the primary water source for east Inishowen.

In Roscommon a fire crew from Ballaghaderreen fire station attended another large gorse fire on Saturday evening. Ballaghaderreen fire brigade brought it under control. It was the third bog fire in three days in west Roscommon after similar blazes at Frenchpark and Castlerea.

Scrub and gorse fires are not uncommon at this time of year although they are illegal once the burning season ends each year on March 16th.

The Irish Wildlife Trust said it was with “grim predictability” that “the first dry spell of spring has seen a surge of wild fires across Ireland”.

Since Friday the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) recorded 15 wild fires from counties Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Galway, Donegal, Louth and Mayo. Eight of these were in areas protected for nature conservation – all are illegal as setting fire to vegetation is prohibited between March 1st and August 31st each year.

Wildlife wipe-out

IWT campaigns officer Pádraic Fogarty said, “Every year we see the same wildlife wipe-out as hillsides and bogs get torched. It’s devastating not only for the natural environment but for the people who live in these areas as their livelihoods and property are put at risk.”

Andrew Doyle, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for forestry, reminded farmers, forest owners, forest managers and the public of the need to be alert to the risk of wildfires over the coming months. He called for farmers, landowners and anyone enjoying the recreational opportunities of our countryside to behave responsibly and within the law with regard to lighting fires.

Efforts to secure a comment from the fire services were not successful. Galway, Donegal and Louth county councils were unable to provide spokespeople. Attempts to secure a comment from Minister for Regional and Rural Affairs Heather Humphreys, who has responsibility for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, were not successful.