'Absolute monster' Crosshaven wildfire came within 2ft of homes as Cork firefighters battled blaze

Firefighters, coastguard and local residents combined to contain a fast-moving wildfire that narrowly missed dozens of Crosshaven homes

The blaze, which started on Monday evening, rapidly engulfed 26,000sq ft of land near Camden Fort Meagher in Crosshaven. 

An "absolute monster" of a blaze near a Cork coastal town came within 2ft of setting fire to up to 30 homes as firefighters spent hours desperately trying to get it under control.

The blaze, which started on Monday evening, rapidly engulfed 26,000sq ft of land near Camden Fort Meagher in Crosshaven. 

It is believed teenagers started a small fire in grassland that quickly grew out of control. 

Gardaí have launched an investigation and said enquiries are "ongoing".

Paul Brierly, station officer with Crosshaven Fire Service, told the Irish Examiner the blaze bore a threat to at least 30 properties in the area and required a multi-agency response from fire crews across the city and county.

“The threat to property was off the walls,” said Mr Brierly.

“We were dealing with an absolute monster when we got there — the easterly wind, which was unusual and strong, was fanning the flames.

“There was so much at stake, houses were only 50m from the fire, and you couldn’t see your hands in front of your face.

“It came within 2ft of the first nearby house, so that became a huge priority early on. 

The blaze bore a threat to at least 30 properties in the area and required a multi-agency response from fire crews across the city and county. Picture: Rory Conlon

"There were plastic drain pipes — about 12in in diameter — in the garden that all melted.” 

Mr Brierly said units from the Crosshaven, Kinsale, and Carrigaline fire services, alongside crews from Cork City Fire Brigade, battled the blaze on the ground, while members of the Irish Coast Guard and a crew from the Doyle Shipping Group worked to extinguish the flames from a vantage point at sea.

“It was very hairy at the start. I realised within two minutes of arriving that we were dealing with something that was beyond normal capabilities — we had to move quickly,” said Mr Brierly.

“We received 31 calls in the space of eight minutes, so that will tell you how bad it was. There was a plume of smoke about five miles long, we were overwhelmed by it.

“In my 25 years of experience — given what was at stake — no, [I have never dealt with something like this],” he added.

He said the dried-out vegetation in exceptional weather conditions meant it was "like a tinder box".

“We were pumping 320 litres of water per minute across eight lines,” he said.

“It was about 9.30/10pm before I felt any bit of relief. We were under a lot of pressure, but we had great inter-agency teamwork between not only the fire services but the coast guard, gardaí, and residents too.

Mr Brierly said while the blaze had been extinguished, crew members remained at the site until 1am undertaking dampening measures, with six firefighters returning to the scene by 8am on Tuesday due to ongoing “pockets of smoke”.

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