Helicopters used in fight against bog blaze

Two helicopters were drafted in to assist in extinguishing a fire that broke out on bogland between Ballymore and Rosemount on Friday week last, April 11.

After several days of hot and sunny weather, the fire broke out on the Curragh/Ballinlig bog at around lunchtime on Friday, and spread to two sections that have forestry plantations, damaging some of the trees.

In a bid to stop the fire, two helicopters were deployed. They sourced water from a local quarry, and made several return trips to kill the blaze and to dampen the vegetation in a bid to stop the fire spreading further.

Smoke from the fire spread over a considerable distance, but by about 8pm, the fire was largely extinguished.

According to a local witness, staff from the forestry service were onsite again on Saturday to deal with areas where the bog was still smouldering.

There have been a number of fires at the 39-hectare bog in the past, the most recent three years ago.

Local woman Maura McLoughlin, whose family cut turf on the bog, said that the fire took hold really quickly. She took a photograph of her father, Sean McLoughlin, on his quad bike on the bog at 1.15pm and the bog was on fire at 1.50pm.

“The turf cutters had rung to say they’d be over to his bank to cut the turf so he went down [to the bog],” says Maura, who took the picture of her dad on the bog to send to her brother Paddy in Australia.

“The bank was completely dry,” she says. “Even the moss, which would normally be saturated in water, wasn’t wet. There were no pools with frogs spawn; everything was dry.”

Fortunately, Maura’s dad had left the bog before the fire took over.

“It was horrible to watch and we are so thankful to the helicopters that came to put it out and also glad the lads cutting the turf at the time were able to get themselves and their equipment out safe.”

Coillte Statement

Coillte personnel attended a forest fire in its forest lands in Ballymore at the weekend. Thanks to the efforts of the crews and with the support of a helicopter, the fire has since been brought under control. Early estimates suggest up to 25 hectares of land may have been damaged. Coillte is investigating the cause of the fire.

Forest fires pose a serious health and safety risk to the public and to people working in the forest sector. They are difficult to bring under control and put firefighters and forest personnel at great risk. They cause widespread ecological and environmental damage to wildlife and to habitats that can take years to recover, especially at this time of the year when many birds and other animals are raising their young. They cost significant amounts of money to Coillte and private forest owners.

Coillte ask the public not to light camp fires or barbecues on forest lands at this time. If a forest fire occurs, the public are advised to contact the emergency services immediately, report the fire and its location and gather all family members and move to a to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire. Do not attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances; co-operate with emergency service instructions and do not park at forest entrances as that can impede access.