Public warned of increased forest fire risk due to dry vegetation

THE public has been warned of an increased “real and immediate” risk of forest fires due to the current weather conditions.

Forestry Minister Mary Wallace, who issued the alert at the weekend, said several hundred hectares of forests and woodland are destroyed by fire every year.

She said she was anxious to draw the attention of forest owners and the public in general to the risk.

Ms Wallace said the highest risk period occurs between February and June, when ground vegetation is dead and dry after winter.

She said the areas at highest risk from wildfire tend to be located near to or within moorland areas.

Dry periods and seasonal high winds in spring help create ideal conditions for wildfire to spread quickly through highly flammable moorland vegetation.

She said woodland located in the path of such fires can very easily be destroyed, with young forest crops particularly at risk.

Ms Wallace said woodland within improved pasture and grassland is generally at very low risk of fire, due to the type of vegetation involved.

But for other types of land there are some simple, cost- effective steps that forest owners can take to reduce the risk of fire damage to plantations, she said.

These include refraining from lighting fires in or near woodlands, taking care with other potential sources of ignition and ensuring that fire breaks around plantations are maintained in an effective, vegetation-free condition.

Ms Wallace reminded all landowners that it is an offence under the Wildlife Act to burn vegetation between March 1 and August 31 on any land not then cultivated and owners could have their single farm payments reduced if they are found burning vegetation within this period.