CLOSE on 150 acres of Killarney National Park has been destroyed in a wildfire and fire chiefs have warned that those responsible are putting lives at risk.
The gorse blaze was reported at 7 o’clock last night in the Dinis area, just off the main Killarney to Kenmare road, and three units of fire service had to remain there into the early hours of the morning.
It is understood that the area involved, which spanned a mile and a half of park land, had very thick overgrowth as it hadn’t been cut back for several years.
The fire could be seen from miles away and it wiped out birds’ nests and other mammals that inhabit the park.
Fire officers believe it might have been started by a carelessly discarded cigarette, a glass bottle catching the sun or a lighted match and, they stressed, in very dry weather the gorse can catch fire very easily.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has pleaded with the public not to deliberately set gorse fires which remains illegal until August 31.
“Aside from diverting emergency services, it is illegal to burn land at this time and those that do face penalties,” a spokesperson said.
“It’s now prime season for nesting birds, breeding mammals and regeneration of growth and habitats after winter.”
The Kerry Fire Service had to respond to 13 call-outs to gorse, bog and forest fires over a 24-hour period at the weekend with six of the 10 brigades available in the county in action.
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