Army goes to aid our friends in the North
THE Irish armed forces have crossed the border to help Northern Irish firefighters battle wildfires for the first time ever.
The Irish Army is helping to control wildfires across the Slieve Gullion mountain area of Armagh after being asked for assistance by the authorities there.
The fire has taken hold on the mountain on the Ballentemple Road in South Armagh, around 3km across the border.
Previously, Irish forces had only crossed the border to assist with fodder drops in isolated areas during severe weather and for search-and-rescue operations.
The Defence Forces made the trip after the Northern Ireland Fire Service appealed for help in tackling the blazes which have been spreading across the region.
The Irish forces deployed two powerful helicopters – the Augusta Westland AW139, which will be used to actively extinguish the fires, and a Eurocoptor EC135, which will act as a command-and-control platform. The AW139 is equipped with a ‘bambi bucket’ which can collect and drop 1,200 litres of water on each trip.
According to the Defence Forces, when water is concentrated on a small area, it has ‘an immediate impact on wildfires’, dampening them down very effectively.
The same system has been used recently in assisting the fire services here to target gorse fires that were spreading.
A spokesman for the Defence Forces added that although they are working in the North, they ‘remain prepared to continue freighting operations in support of local communities’.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took to Twitter to confirm that approval for the expedition was granted after the request was made by the Northern Irish authorities.
Minister of State with responsibility for defence Paul Kehoe tweeted that the mission was a ‘great example’ of Irish military personnel ‘working with their counterparts in the North to protect communities’.