‘Fire training’ campaign being launched after blazing year

A series of National Fire Training Days are due to take place around the country over the coming weeks as part of a campaign led by Coillte in association with the Forest Service and with the support of the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed T.D., who officially launched the campaign.

The launch heard that in an effort to reduce forest fire incidents, the public are being urged to be vigilant and report fires as soon as possible. While land owners are being reminded that burning vegetation on land not yet cultivated between 1st March and 31st August each year is an offence.

Mick Power, Coillte National Estates Risk Manager said:

“At the start of spring there is often a lot of dead vegetation accumulated from last year. This material can dry out quickly when there are bright sunny days, high temperatures and low humidity levels, which can greatly increase the risk of fire.”

“However, with the National Fire Training Days campaign, as well as working with land managers, we are appealing to the public to be vigilant and most importantly to report forest fires in a bid to protect the countryside, its wildlife and residents.”

2017 was an exceptional year for forest fires in Ireland with 85 separate fire events on Coillte property alone, which affected more than 1,700 hectares of forestry and 2,000 hectares of bog.

The cost of fighting these fires as well as the loss of standing timber was significant and Coillte are still engaged in an ongoing process to evaluate the expenditure required to ensure forest and habitat regeneration.

“This process is very challenging as significant work is required to remove burnt material and prepare the lands for reforestation.

“Most areas will be fully replanted while others may be converted to biodiversity and nature conservation areas with the agreement of the Forest Service,” Mick Power added.

Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed T.D. said at the launch: “Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires, as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.

“However, human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting so it’s essential people act safely and responsibly.”