Rhododendron bushes prevented major fire in Killarney National Park from spreading

The wall of dense rhododendron on the spine of Torc Mountain in the Killarney National Park acted as a firebreak in the early hours of Saturday morning and prevented a major fire reaching the oak, beech and pine woodlands, it has emerged.

Fire crews from Killarney and Killorglin battled for more than 13 hours before the mountain fire, whose flames could be seen for miles, was finally extinguished.