Donegal gorse fires. Ireland north & NW gorse and bog fires

Sceala Clann T.D. Location: Belfast and Donegal.

The gorse fires in Donegal and other parts of Ulster are still really bad today. Unfortunately we have missed out on the rain that most of Ireland had this morning. We need some heavy rain quickly - the fires in West Donegal are out of control.
If I am exaggerating - so is Pat the Cope Gallagher.
We need tourists more than ever this year - these gorse fires are going to put tourists off visiting Donegal.

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The Donegal Fire Service has said the blaze was started maliciously.
Defence Minister must instruct army assistance to tackle west Donegal fire - Cope
MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on the Minister for Defence Alan Shatter TD to immediately instruct the Defence Forces to deploy personnel to West Donegal “to supplement the Donegal Fire Services to deal with the Gorse Fire in the Upper Rosses covering the triangle between Doochary/Leitir/Dungloe. The fire is completely out of control and is exacerbated by the dry weather and high winds.”
“The exhausted fire fighters and many locals are now on the ground almost 24hrs and cannot continue without support. They can only, in the meantime, protect homes and this is stretching their resources beyond limits.
“I am pleading with the Minister to assist and to avoid the ‘red tape’ that is delaying the arrival of the army. Hundreds of personnel are urgently required to protect property in the area.”
“Extensive damage has already been done to farms, forestry, landscape and wild life is destroyed. Last night was an inferno resembling the fires that more regularly sweep across States in Australia. Many houses are still in danger and the Minister should not stand back from ordering intervention,” concluded Pat the Cope.
It is about time that the council did something about gorse, made the farmers control it a bit more. Gorse especially on bog land is so dangerous, once it is alight it feeds itself like petrol. Problem for us in Donegal is the hills are full of it, farmers elsewhere in Ireland have not allowed gorse to get so out of control.

The fire service said it believes some had been started deliberately and described the fires as the most serious in years.
Roads closed as gorse fire rages in Donegal
Fire fighters and the Defence Forces are continuing to battle raging gorse fires in West Donegal which, they say, were started deliberately.
A number of roads remain closed, including the N56/Letterkenny to Killybegs Road between Lettermacaward and Dungloe and the Dungloe to Doochary road.
Three Army Corps helicopters, two of which are equipped with Bambi buckets, have been deployed to assist.
Each bucket is capable of carrying 1,200 litres of water.
Donegal gorse fires. Ireland north & NW gorse and bog fires
rte news
An operation to bring a number of gorse fires in Co Donegal has been called off for the night.
Fires on Coillte lands in Mayo and in Connemara have been extinguished but a small number of personnel will remain on standby overnight to monitor the situation.
Elsewhere, a fire was reported on a hillside in the Dromahair area of Co Leitrim.
The fires have been spreading quicker than would normally be the case because the severe frosts during the winter damaged vegetation.
In Northern Ireland, firefighters have been tackling a string of wild fires on the Mourne Mountains.
The fire service said it believes some had been started deliberately and described the fires as the most serious in years.
Earlier, the Defence Forces were deployed to help in the operation.
Fires were reported in counties Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Down.
Fifty troops were deployed in Donegal and north-west Mayo and an Air Corps helicopter, equipped with a bucket, flew missions to drop 1,200 litres of water at a time on the fires near Dunloe.
A second helicopter conducted a similar operation at the Foxford Pontoon area of Mayo.
Twelve units of the fire service tackled a large gorse fire between Lettermacaward and Dungloe in west Donegal.
Four houses in the area were evacuated, and one house was said to be extensively damaged.
The Donegal Fire Service has said the blaze was started maliciously.
A strong breeze and dry conditions has hampered efforts to bring the fires under control.
Firefighters and forestry workers battled a number of serious bog and forest fires in Galway and Mayo.
One of the most serious of the fires has damaged four square kilometres of bog and forestry between Pontoon and Castlebar.
Another large fire broke out near Recess in Connemara and is causing extensive damage in the Lough Inagh Valley area.
Five units of the fire brigade tackled a bog and forest fire on the Longford/Westmeath border.
The blaze broke out near the village of Lismaccrey. There were a number of smaller fires reported in counties Offaly, Westmeath and Longford over the weekend, but this is the largest reported incident.
The PSNI has warned the public against walking in the Mourne Mountains in Co Down over the next few days because of the danger from gorse fires.
Donegal gorse fires. Ireland north & NW gorse and bog fires

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