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Forest owners, farmers and rural dwellers have been asked to be extremely vigilant this weekend for any forest fire activity and to report any suspicious or illegal activity to the gardaí.
The Forest Service has issued a condition orange fire warning as a result of easterly high pressure conditions and forecast high temperatures.
High fire risk
These conditions mean that a high fire risk exists in all areas where hazardous fuels such as gorse, heather, dried grasses and other dead vegetation exist.
The projected meteorological fire risk is likely to be further compounded by additional ignition risks arising from the forthcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.
A statement from the Forest Service said that most recent fire incidents appear to have taken place on lands associated with turf cutting, but additional risks may also exist on areas commonly used for public recreation.
“On this basis, the highest degree of vigilance is warranted by forest owners and managers during the long weekend. Fire risk is expected to peak significantly on Monday 22 April 2019,” it said.
Pending significant rainfall, this risk condition will remain in place until 12pm on Tuesday 23 April unless otherwise stated by the Department.
Be on alert
All forest owners and managers are again advised to prepare for likely outbreaks of fire.
Recent weeks have seen significant fire activity and losses in forestry.
Fire lines, fire plans and fire suppression equipment should be reviewed and made ready and other relevant contingencies such as insurance, helicopter contracts, etc, checked and confirmed.
The advice is if you see a fire, do not delay; report it to the fire and emergency services straight away by calling 999 or 112.
People who make the call will not be billed by the fire service or local authority.
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