County crews tackle gorse fires in several Cork areas
Fire crews from across West Cork battled several gorse fires this week in some “very challenging conditions”.
Over the weekend, Cork County Council Fire Crews in West Cork responded to more than 20 gorse/vegetation fires primarily in the Mizen and Beara Peninsulas with all 6 fire brigades - Bantry, Castletownbere, Schull, Skibbereen, Dunmanway and Clonakilty - involved.
A statement from Cork County Council to the Cork Independent said: “Crews worked hard in very challenging conditions for long hours tackling these fires, some of which came very close to private houses, with all houses protected.”
The council told the newpaper: “Fire crews contended with very heavy vegetation cover together with strong winds, which made it very difficult to fight the fires.”
Schull Fire Brigade, assisted by Dunmanway Fire Brigade, were called to the Irish Aviation Centre in Mount Gabriel at 8.48pm on 26 February by gardaí in Schull as the fires came very close to the radar installation and buildings.
Crews extinguished the fire near the installation using water from their appliances.
The blaze came close enough to activate the fire alarm installation in the buildings, but the fire did not damage them.
The council statement continued: “Cork County Council wishes to highlight how uncontrolled fires pose a danger to wildlife, property, infrastructure, the environment and potentially, human life.
“They can be a significant and prolonged draw on fire service resources and may compromise the ability to respond to other incidents such as road traffic collisions or domestic fires,” Cork County Council said in its statement.
The statement added: “The burning of vegetation is controlled by the Wildlife Acts. It is an offence under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 (amended by Section 46 of the Wildlife Act, 2000) to burn from 1 March-31 August in any year, any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated.
“Individuals who are found to burn vegetation within that prohibited period are liable to prosecution by An Garda Síochána or by the National Parks and Wildlife Service,” concluded the statement.