Fire Warning – Government issue orange alert

The Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine have issued an Orange Forest Fire Warning. This is arising from weather patterns and expected level of risk to forests right up until next Monday.

The warning came into place at 12pm yesterday and will be in place until the same time on Monday, the 28th.

This comes following a “hectic day”, yesterday for the city’s fire team as they tackled a huge gorse fire in the North Ring road area.

The busy day also saw the crew put out a blaze in UCC’s Kane building, where two people were taken to CUH with “non life-threatening injuries”.

A statement from the department read: “Arising from current high pressure dominated 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.

“An increase in fire risk can be expected through the coming weekend as these conditions persist. Current ignition risks appear to be mainly associated burning of vegetation in upland areas.”

The department have also issued advice to forest owners/managers:

All forest owners and managers are again advised to prepare for likely outbreaks of fire. Fire lines, Fire Plans, and fire suppression equipment should be reviewed and made ready and other relevant contingencies such as insurance, helicopter contracts etc., checked and confirmed.

Forest owners, farmers, rural dwellers and other countryside users are asked to be extremely vigilant regarding fire activity, to report any suspicious or illegal activity to the Gardai and to report all fires immediately to the Fire and Emergency Services via 112/999.

The Department recommends that forest owners and managers should consider the fire mitigation measures that they can put in place to help prevent loss or damage to forest resources through fire.

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