Residents recount the worst forest fire in living memory
DEVASTATING FIRE IN THE COOLEY MOUNTAINS AFTER SUSTAINED DRY SPELL WORST IN LIVING MEMORY
A week after the first fire was spotted on Slievenaglogh Mountain, fires are still smouldering on the forested slopes. The intense fire, the worst in living memory, was fanned by strong winds and licked across the tinder dry trees and gorse, forcing families to flee their homes, and causing immeasurable damage to with thousands of birds, small mammals and insects perishing in the blaze.
Within a few hours, the small fire first noticed on Sunday afternoon had exploded into an inferno sending plumes of smoke which dould be seen from north Dublin and showed up in NASA radar images.
Weeks without rain meant that conditions were tinder dry and the flames leaped from one section of the forest to another, then spreading to the gorse at Annaloughan and then crossing the top of the mountain to the side facing Glenmore.
The local community turned out in force with tractors and water tankers to help neighbours protect their property, as fire fighters worked day and night to contain the blaze. Fortunately no lives were lost or houses burned but the damage caused to the natural habitat has been immense,
The fires occurred at a time when there is a status Red warning in place for forest fires.
As they were alerted to the fire on the Sunday evening, Coillte along with Louth County Council’s Fire Service began what was to be a long and at times difficult battle to contain the fire.
A spokesperson for the forestry authority said: ‘Coillte deployed staff on the ground with dedicated fire fighting equipment, including a fire fighting helicopter. Due to the current conditions of extremely dry vegetation, strong winds and lack of rain, the fire escalated quickly.
‘It is too early to confirm the source of the ignition but it appears that the fire may have arisen from a camp fire in the woods and Coillte are working with the Gardai to investigate the source.”
Following representations on behalf of local residents who watched in dismay as the Coillte helicoper flew over their houses to drop water on the burning trees without dousing their homes, Sinn Finn TD Ruairi Ó Murchu called for an army helicoper to be made available to fight the blazes on the mountainside. He also asked for ‘all State resources’ to be used in battling the blaze on the Cooley Mountains and added that a ‘plan for dealing with future fires’ was also needed. Local residents have also called fire breaks to be developed to keep future fires from coming so close to their homes.
Gardai are carrying out door to door inquiries to see if anyone has information as to what may have led to the outbreak of these devastatin fires.
A number of campsites have been discovered in forests on the Cooley mountains and gardai were also called to Ravensdale following an incident in which teenagers set off fireworks behind Dulargy NS, sparking off another fire.