HOMES EVACUATED IN SAFETY FEARS
Residents were forced to flee their homes on Sunday night as a huge fire raged through the forest along Annaloughan loop on the Cooley peninsula. Smoke from the fire, which still smouldered yesterday (Monday), could be seen from as far away as north Dublin.
LOUTH’S Chief Fire officer, Eamon Woulfe told the Argus it had been a ’challenging’ weekend for the fire service as they battled a number of blazes across north Louth.
‘We initially had a fire reported near Omeath and crews responded to that. But the most significant fire was that which broke out in the middle of Jenkinstown forest.’
He said the fire was over a mile wide, as it spread two different directions across the mountain.
‘We were dealing with one aspect of the blaze heading towards Carlingford, and then also the fire spreading west in the Dundalk direction.’
Both were ‘very significant fires’ he added, and at one stage led to the evacuation of two homes on the edge of Jenkinstown forest, where fire crews successfully worked to prevent the fire reaching the buildings.
‘At the same time, another fire was reported in the Edentubber area of Carrickarnon, and we had crews diverted to bring it under control.’
Fire crews from all four stations, Dundalk, Carlingford, and Dunleer and Ardee were all involved in the efforts to tackle the substantial fires across north Louth. Ardee firefighters were also brought in to man Dundalk station at around midnight on Sunday as crews worked to beat down the flames in Jenkinstown.
‘It was one of the most challenging fires we have faced in some time,’ admitted the Chief Fire officer. He added that the long spell of dry weather, combined with the warm wind blowing had led to the fire quickly spreading across a wide area.
The forestry agency, Coillte, were also involved in arranging water helicopter ‘drops’ of water across the breadth of the fire on Sunday and yesterday (Monday).
Local residents have paid tribute to the trojan efforts of the fire service who had to work in very difficult conditions to keep the fire from spreading to their homes.
Eunice Rice said that the fire fighters did ‘an amazing job’ of keeping their homes safe. ‘It has just been a horrible experience,’ she said. With a large area of forest ravaged by the blaze, the fire will have had a devastating effect on wildlife. ‘We all so heartbroken as we love the forest.’
The prolonged dry spell has led to tinder conditions, and fire crews also tackled a fire at Ballymakellet Forest on Saturday.