Department urges woodland visitors to beware of fire risk

People who traditionally start their seasonal recreational visits to the country’s woods today, Easter Monday, are being reminded about the risk of forest fires and the need for care.

Farmers, forest owners and managers are also being reminded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that an inherent risk of fire exists during the spring on certain types of land, particularly in upland areas.

A number of major wildfires have occurred in recent years which destroyed or damaged property, including farmland and forests.

More recently, a spate of uncontrolled burning incidents affecting Cork and Kerry has led to the department again calling for vigilance. It has called on landowners to co-operate in fire prevention efforts and to report unattended or dangerous fires to the emergency services without delay, before they can become larger incidents that are more difficult to deal with.

Following dry weather patterns, it said a wildfire risk can quickly develop in all areas where flammable vegetation such as grasses, gorse and heather are present, especially in proximity to forests and other assets.

“Landowners, rural dwellers and other land users are asked to maintain a high degree of vigilance regarding fire over the coming months,” it said.

The department is urging forest owners and managers to check fire plans and to ensure firebreaks are clear of flammable vegetation and forest access routes are clear of obstructions.

Landowners are reminded it is illegal, under the Wildlife Acts, to burn growing vegetation on uncultivated land between March 1 and August 31 and that persons engaged in such activity are liable to prosecution.

The department is also warning owners that land found to have been burned during the specified closed season would be considered automatically ineligible under various support schemes. Satellite detection and assessment of recently affected areas is underway.

Also, further inspections may be conducted on lands where fire incidents have been detected since March 1.

The department says suspicious activity should be reported to the gardaí and uncontrolled or unattended fires should be reported immediately to the Fire and Emergency Services. Forest owners must be especially vigilant in protecting their investments, it said.

Current fire behaviour is described as moderate, but there is a strong possibility of further and potentially higher fire risk conditions emerging again next month, as spring weather conditions improve and temperatures increase. The department is warning farmers and other landowners of the inherent safety risks associated with uncontrolled burning.

These include the threat to neighbours’ homes, livelihoods and critical infrastructure in rural areas, and the impacts on the safety and wellbeing of elderly and infirm people living in areas affected by smoke.