It has been a dark weekend for Killarney with the loss of thousands of acres of prime national park in the most devastating fire in the area for almost four decades.
Thankfully, there was no loss of life in the blaze which ripped through the park for four days and was eventually brought under control on Monday afternoon.
Now, as the damage is being assessed, which at this point appears to be more than half of the 5,000 acre national park, with incalculable damage to flora, fauna and wildlife, there are demands for a full investigation into who started it.
Cllr Cathal Foley has offered €1,000 to help find the culprits and others have demanded answers.
While the cause of the fire is not yet known, unsubstantiated reports point to a campfire or BBQ embers in the wider Dinis area where it started. Farmers are not thought to be involved given the starting point and gardaí continue investigations.
Killarney National Park is a UNESCO World Biosphere Site and the area is a special and protected area of conservation.
Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has demanded a full investigation into the cause, not only to attempt to discover who was responsible but to identify ways to lessen the chances of it ever happening again.
“Whether it was a carelessly discarded match, the remnants of a barbecue or bonfire or a deliberate act of vandalism that sparked the blaze, it appears it was entirely irresponsible and reckless and it shows a disregard, not only for nature but for human life,” said Chamber President Niall Kelleher.
“The chamber would urge anybody with any information that may help identify what or who caused the fire to report the matter, without delay, to the authorities,” said Chamber President Niall Kelleher.
“The chamber would urge anybody with any information that may help identify what or who caused the fire to report the matter, without delay, to the authorities,” said Chamber President Niall Kelleher.
Government Ministers also condemned the fires when visiting on Monday.
On Sunday evening, the blaze came perilously close to a school, a church and other properties in the Black Valley as it continued for a third day and on Sunday evening Michael Casey could see the fire rushing down the mountain to his mother, Christina Casey’s house in the heart of the Black Valley.
“We were lucky. There is a stream separating her property. We did get a fright; we could see the flames coming and it came quickly.
“You often watch TV and see the devastating fires in California, and you think they got caught out. It wasn’t until last Sunday that I saw how fast fire moves,” he added.
Luckily, the fire service put the fire out at the stream, but it was such a close call that ashes landed on their cars and smoke filled the house.
The fire burned water pipes in nearby houses leaving five homes in the Black Valley without water and fears are mounting about the local water supply as a downpour will bring ashes and smoke into the river and stream, potentially leaving water undrinkable and destroying water filters.
“This is the aftermath of this,” said Michael who said he could not believe how much of the landscape burned over four days.
Killarney Water Rescue, An Garda Siochána, the Air Corps and the National Park and Wildlife Service staff in Killarney all worked to try and save much of the park for almost four days in what has been the area’s worst fire since 1984 when flames burned for six days.
Though it remains unknown what caused the fire, there are demands for a full investigation into the incident by the Gardaí and the NPWS. Unsubstantiated reports believe it may have been embers of a campfire or BBQ. Farmers are not thought to be involved given the starting point.
The scale of the damage has not yet even been fully assessed but almost 3,000 hectares have been damaged out of the national park’s 5,000 hectares.
“First-hand reports from those involved in fighting the fires, and photographic coverage and video footage showing large sections of our iconic Killarney Park ablaze, have been difficult to digest and the whole episode is extremely distressing,” said Killarney Chamber President, Niall Kelleher.
“Killarney National Park is the jewel in Ireland’s tourism crown and the impact the fires have had, causing extensive damage to approximately one half of the park, scorching the land and decimating wildlife, including rare and important habitats and species, has been met with shock and dismay by everybody.
More than 40 firemen from crews across the county battled the blaze from around 10.30am on Friday night non-stop until Monday around 12.30pm when it was finally brought under control. Macroom Fire Service was drafted in to help and extra helicopters on Sunday were also called. These helped for a number of hours but had to attend other calls on Sunday.
SOURCE: Farming Independent
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