Ongoing issues with illegal camping on dunes
THE fire which damaged 13.5 acres of sand dunes at Curracloe Beach at the weekend is thought to have started just north of an overflow car park that was closed to the public at the time, according to a senior figure in Wexford County Council.
Senior Engineer in the Environment Department, Gerry Forde, said: ‘We think that may be where it started but obviously the investigation is ongoing.’
Mr Forde also said there has been ongoing issues with people camping illegally in the sand dunes throughout the summer and only three weeks ago he himself had to call the fire service out to deal with fires not fully extinguished after people had left.
The County Council is responsible for around 84 acres between Raven Forest and Ballinesker beach. Mr Forde said: ‘We have had our own warden out there and private security and still people are camping where they shouldn’t.’
‘It’s very serious this year because of how dry it’s been,’ he added. ‘We are awaiting the results of the Garda investigation but we have witnessed people lighting barbecues before.’
Mr Forde and officials from the Environment Department went to the scene of the blaze on Sunday and carried out a visual inspection once it was brought under control by the fire service. They also visited the scene yesterday.
The area is one of special conservation and Mr Forde said damage assessment will need to be carried out: ‘If the roots are badly damaged we might need to take pro-active work to help the system recover.’ He said the local authority is going to employ the services of a specialist over the coming weeks to ascertain what needs to be done to re-establish the dunes.
• A spokesperson for the National Parks and Wildlife Service said that it was not possible to be specific about the ecological impacts or erosion risk to the area without a detailed survey of the area. They said that, in the coming days, the area would undergo initial assessment.
The spokesperson added that while the burned area was outside of any Natura 2000 conservation or protection area, they would have grave concerns about the fire’s proximity to The Raven Nature Reserve.
They added that the staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service have been patrolling the Nature Reserve regularly throughout the dry spell and have put out many campfires.
‘Such fires are illegal within one mile of a Nature Reserve We ask the public to report any concerns to the Ranger based at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve on 0761 002661.