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You are > Home > Counting the cost of forest fires
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Counting the cost of forest fires
Last weekend saw one of the worst forest fires in County Roscommon this year with over 60 acres of forestry destroyed, wind turbines damaged and flights to Knock airport delayed for a number of hours.
A major blaze broke out in the Islandmore area of Ballaghaderreen on Sunday afternoon causing extensive damage to three to four square miles of forestry in the area.
Nine units of Roscommon Fire Brigade were drafted in to deal with the raging flames and over 40 firefighters battled for more than four hours to bring the blaze under control. At one point there were concerns that residents in four local houses would have to be evacuated while a number of wind turbines were badly scorched.
Coillte and a number of other private landowners are counting the cost this week with over 60 acres of well established forestry being destroyed by the blaze. Huge financial losses have been incurred and it will take years to replant and recoup the costs associated with losing such an extensive area of forestry.
Other commercial enterprises such as the local wind turbine plant were also counting the cost this week as three turbines were badly scorched in the blaze. A number of flights coming into Ireland West Airport Knock were also delayed for due to the extensive smoke cloud from the raging forest fire.
There has been an increase of bog and forest fires over the past few months due to the exceptionally good weather particularly so last weekend when temperatures reaching the mid twenties.
A lot of bogs have not been cut back in recent times and there is a lot of additional growth so the good dry weather spell would have contributed to the amount of fires.
While a number of the bog and forest fires in the region in past months are understood to have started accidentally, a small number are thought to have resulted from fires being lit in a careless and dangerous way to burn off vegetation in close proximity to forests.
It’s important to point out that forest fires put the lives of the people who have to fight them at risk, as well as causing major damage to property, wild life and habitats.
Members of the public must be extremely vigilant. People’s safety is a priority and everyone should take a collective responsibility for ensuring that fires are not started near forestry plantations. Livelihoods, business enterprises and ultimately lives are at stake.
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