Firefighters continue to battle gorse fire in Co Sligo

Large gorse fires continue to burn in several areas around the country including one affecting up to 4,000 acres in Co Sligo.

In the past two days, fires have been reported in Dublin, Sligo, Roscommon, Kerry and Galway.

Nearly 50 firefighters from all four stations in Sligo and one in Leitrim are tackling a fire in the Ballintogher area and trying to protect local houses in its path. A coast guard helicopter is also assisting in the operation.

The warm dry weather, which is expected to continue over the coming days, is hindering efforts to stop the spread of the blaze.

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Sligo County Council said firefighters are focusing on preventing the spread of the fire into the Millennium Forest near Slish Wood.

The Fire Service has urged all members of the public to stay away from the areas affected for their own safety.

Five units of Galway fire brigade are also dealing with a large gorse fire in Connemara.

There is also a major bog fire burning just outside Frenchpark in Co Roscommon which is being attended by three units of Roscommon Fire Service.

Fire crews in Killarney tackled a large gorse fire beside Killarney National Park on Wednesday night.

On Tuesday a large gorse fire in Howth, Co Dublin was brought under control by four units of the Dublin Fire Brigade. During the operation firefighters deployed a drone to monitor the spread of the blaze.

No injuries have been reported in any of the fires so far.

Wildlife groups have laid the blame for the latest outbreaks on some in the hill farming community who they say are starting the blazes to clear heather from their land.

“In order to make land grazable you have to burn it,” Pádraic Fogarty of the Irish Wildlife Trust said. “It’s very difficult to make it grazable otherwise.

“In order for the farmer to get the public subsidy, the land has to be grazable. If the inspector goes out and finds heather up to his hip they won’t get the money.

“That’s the motivation for burning. The problem is it’s against the law. And also if the land is found to be burnt they don’t get the payment. So they’re in a kind of ‘Catch 22’ in that regard.”

Mr Fogarty added, “I’ve read reports about some of these fires being started by glass bottle being discarded, I’ve never encountered that. These are deliberately set fires and at the root cause of it is hill farming.”

A spokesman for Met Éireann said the current dry conditions had made the land very susceptible to fire.

“The rainfall around the country in April was only 25 percent of normal. It was only 20 percent of normal in Dublin. That meant things were obviously very dry.

“We also have this east wind which is a dry wind so that helps to dry stuff out as well.”