Emergency services tackle huge fire in Killarney National Park

Thousands of acres of national park are burning on Saturday evening in Killarney as fire crews, national park personnel and an army helicopter try to contain the huge fire on the southern and western edges of Killarney National Park.

Civil Defence and gardaí were also at the scene.

Inflatables were being used to ferry fire personnel and equipment across the lake while others remained to fight the blazes on the opposite shore.

Earlier this afternoon a fire appeared to have devoured the native oakwoods, which had just sprung into leaf at the foot of the Eagles Nest, despite best efforts from firemen.

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The fire, which broke out at midnight, was fanned by a strong breeze.

“The breeze is complicating matters hugely,” a council spokesman said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was devastating to see the damage caused by the fire at the Killarney National Park. He thanked all involved in the effort to control the blaze.

Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Patrick O’Connor-Scarteen who was at Ladies View overlooking the lakes of Killarney, said the next few hours will be critical.

The fire is deep in the park, and not since 1984 has there been such a contagion.

“This is absolutely shocking to see a fire so bad in the national park. The destruction of wildlife and habitat already is huge. The next few hours will be critical to see if it can be contained,” he said.

The blaze was spotted in the area of Eagles Nest and along the Long Range. Several fire engines and water tankers are at the scene and water is being taken from the lake to fight the blaze.

Some three miles away a helicopter was scooping water into a red bucket from the Upper Lake area in a bid to stop the fire going over Purple Mountain and on to Tomies.

Fire personnel and parks staff are having to battle the blaze on what is the warmest day of the year so far with blistering sunshine and high temperatures.

Overnight huge fires were contained north of Killarney, in the Currow area and north of Castleisland, with crews from Tralee and Abbeyfeale joining forces to protect homes and try to minimise damage to forestry. Water tankers were called in from Killarney to fight the huge blaze between Castleisland and Brosna on the Limerick border.

In a statement on Saturday afternoon, the Department of Housing and Heritage paid tribute to the fire crews and the NPWS and asked the public to avoid a whole area of the N71 and said there may be reduced visibility in the area due to smoke.

Ministers Darragh O’Brien and Malcolm Noonan thanked emergency services for their support. Mr Noonan said:“The cause of the fire is not yet known and the NPWS will be following up with authorities including the Kerry Fire Services to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the blaze once circumstances permit.

“Wildfires are generally not a natural phenomenon in Ireland. Aside from the obvious pressures placed on the emergency services and NPWS during the current pandemic, fires are particularly destructive in spring and early summer as it is prime season for nesting birds, breeding mammals and the regeneration of growth and habitats after the winter period.

“Uncontrolled fires in these high conservation value designated Natura 2000 landscapes (SAC/SPA) have a long lasting negative impact on biodiversity of the area. This impact is often wider than just the footprint of the burnt area.

“I would appeal to all members of the public to be conscious of the danger posed by fire – any fire – but particularly a fire on open ground which can very quickly get out of control. We have all seen how homes and lives can be threatened and we can also see the damage to the landscape and to valuable habitats caused.”