A 100 hectare forest fire in the Wicklow Mountains has been brought under control but fire fighters with air support will resume operations on Wednesday morning to be certain.
The blaze broke out in an area of Crone Wood, Glencree Valley, Co Wicklow on Tuesday, near the popular Wicklow Way walking trail.
The exact size of the site is unclear but is estimated at about 100 hectares, lying about an hour’s walk above the nearest accessible trail.
Fire crews had tackled the flames from their most accessible point lower on the mountain but because they took hold in mature forestry, it was difficult to fight from the ground.
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An Irish Air Corps AW139 helicopter dropped over 12,000 litres of water over 11 separate missions.
The water was taken from Lough Bray, about six kilometres to the east of the site but flying conditions were described as difficult, making it challenging to refill supplies.
A private helicopter from Galway was also drafted in to help with the response and will return on Wednesday morning.
The blaze broke out in the well-known beauty spot in the early hours of the morning, prompting a swift response from Bray, Greystones and Enniskerry based crews.
Mr Dempsey said a previous survey of the area had revealed several campfires both on and off trail, and human activity is the most likely cause. A disposable barbecue or discarded cigarette butt were also mentioned as possible causes. The recent hot weather had created ideal conditions for a fire to spread.
“People light campfires up there. They think they have put them out. We ask people not to do it,” he said.
Crone Wood is popular with families and hill walkers and marks the start of many walking trails in the Wicklow Mountains.
Fire services were mobilised at 1am on Tuesday morning following the hottest day in Ireland for 135 years.
The Air Corps, tasked with responding to such blazes, has a capacity to deliver approximately 12,000 litres of water per hour.
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Coillte, the forestry service, mobilised the private helicopter operator which had been temporarily delayed due to fog.
Although Glencree valley is a developed area, the fire was burning on an elevated area located far from the population. There were no reported casualties or threat to any buildings given the remote site.
“We don’t think it was malicious because the fire started in a remote area. If a person wanted to start a fire deliberately they would start it beside the road or on footpaths,” Mr Dempsey said.
Elsewhere, fire crews from Rathdrum have been battling a fire in Carrick Mountain for the past several days.
“The fire is on a rocky outcrop at the top of the mountain and the fire smolders between the rocks making it difficult to see whether we’ve fully extinguished it or not,” said Mr Dempsey. “We will probably use a helicopter to finish it off at some stage today as well.”
There is a status orange fire warning currently in place in the country. Coillte has appealed to the public not to light fires in or around forests or open land.
