VIDEO: ‘Multiple ignitions’ responsible for fire threatening ancient forest

The fire service in Kerry believes “multiple ignitions” possibly lit at around the same time, are responsible for a huge fire that threatened the ancient oak woodlands of Tomies Mountain at the western most edge of the Killarney National Park.

The smoke emanating mainly from the Gap of Dunloe region was visible for miles in daylight yesterday.

Killarney’s National Park is one of the very few places in the country continuously covered by woodland, and the native oaklands at Tomies are among the largest in the country, with the sessile oak trees there believed to be at least 200 years old and the remnants of a continuous ancient woodland.