Calls for controlled burn period to be extended to prevent wildfires

A massive gorse fire decimated hundreds of acres in Seskin, Bantry, in April 2021. Picture: Andy Gibson.

Calls have been made for the controlled burn period to be extended, following acknowledgement that action by farmers and landowners are central to controlling wildfires.

As the ground dries out quickly after the winter, upland grasses, heather and gorse become highly flammable.

Already this year, four units of the Cork County Fire Service were called to a large outbreak between Ballydehob and Bantry in January, a very dry month overall with above-average temperatures.

Wildfires are generally the result of either unforeseen or careless actions. But some are started deliberately.

Prolonged dry periods and seasonal high winds help to create ideal conditions for flames to spread rapidly through the highly flammable moorland undergrowth.

Young trees are particularly at risk because of their small size and proximity to the vegetation. A discarded cigarette or match, a spark from a picnic fire or the accidental or illegal burning of land can cause devastation.

Helicopters, drones, and satellite technology are also now regularly used to monitor the extent of serious fires from the air. Another tool used in the fight against forest and gorse fires is the “bambi-bucket,” slung from helicopters and filled with up to 380 litres of water which can be dumped on the fire-line below.

Yet, wildfires, according to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue, are an easily preventable threat to “our beautiful hills and bogs and the habitats and livelihoods they sustain”.

It is an offence under the Wildlife Act to burn any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated within a prohibited period (March 1 to August 31).

Those who do so are liable to prosecution by An Garda Síochána or by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Replying to a Dáil question, Mr McConalogue said the farming community has a central role to play in the control of fire in landscapes through the management of land, and the reduction and maintenance of fire-prone vegetation such as purple moor grass, heather and gorse in high-risk areas.

Coillte and the NPWS, who are responsible for state-owned National Parks and Reserves, are also partnering to combat the spread of forest and wildfires by using innovative technology.

This allows drones to become the firefighters’ eyes in the skies, helping to protect the environment and save lives Irish Farmers Association National Hill Farming chairman Cáillin Conneely has meanwhile called on Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan to ensure the managed burning of gorse is allowed in March.

Mr Conneely said the extension by a month will allow better vegetative management, help farmers keep land eligible for various Common Agricultural Policy schemes, and reduce uncontrolled wildfires.

“The minister must take account of how farmers manage their hill land responsibly. Where land is burned, it’s done in a managed way,” he said.

“Controlled gorse burning before the end of February can be difficult to achieve due to the wetter ground conditions. These conditions prove to be drier in March.”