FIRE SERVICE STILL FEELING THE BURN
FIRE crews have once again spent the past week battling dozens of fires across the county started as a result of the unseasonably dry weather and heatwave.
Wicklow fire chief Aidan Dempsey said that while during the month of June, countywide crews responded to 130 call outs, the July figures are still being collated and that crews are still extremely busy.
A number of incidents were dealt with by crews in recent days, which could have resulted in risk to property and life, had they not been contained in time.
One such fire ignited in Coillte forestry land near Glenmalure last Tuesday night which saw crews from Rathdrum and Wicklow drafted in.
‘ This was not what they call valuable forestry but the risk was that if it burned up and over the hill there would have been no stopping it,’ said Mr Dempsey. ‘We had units fighting it from the bottom and helicopters fighting it from the top down,’ he added.
Road closures in place at the Sally Gap for more than a week are expected to be lifted in the next 24 hours as gorse fires have been contained by crews.
‘We managed this using road restrictions and it has been effective. That was burning for the best part of a week and we were containing it in the and not fighting it at night. Between ourselves, the National Parks and Recreation Service and Coillte we managed to keep it under control,’ Mr Dempsey added.
Another week-long incident was recorded at Windgates, which though under control, was still smouldering yesterday, Tuesday.
‘ This is an area with very peaty soil and once the fire gets deep down into it, it is very hard to eradicate. The same thing is happening all over the EU.’
Other incidents were reported at Sea Road, Arklow, Vale Road, Arklow, Glencree, Kippure and Cloghleagh, Blessing-