Forest owners warned of increased plantation fire risk due to weather

FOREST owners and the public have been warned about an increased risk of plantation fires in the current weather conditions.

Fisheries and Forestry Minister Tony Killeen issued the warning ahead St Patrick’s Day when increased numbers of people traditionally visit forests.

Stressing that the risk of forest fires at this time is very real, he said several hundred hectares of forests and woodland are destroyed by fire in Ireland every spring.