The scene in Glengad at midnight – picture by Caroline Donaghey Cunningham for Donegal Daily
THIS was the scene in Glengad earlier – just the latest blaze raging across the countryside amid fears that some of the gorse fires in Donegal this week have been started deliberately.
The Glengad fire, pictured by Donegal Daily reader Caroline Donaghey Cunningham, was one of at least ten in various parts of the county in the past few hours.
There were also reports of more gorse fires in Glenswilly, Gaoth Dobhair, Annagry and Falcarragh.
They came as the Department of Agriculture warned that many of our forests are now at their most vulnerable.
“A cigarette tossed from a car window could cause any of these fires but we believe some have been started deliberately,” one senior fire officer told Donegal Daily.
“We have the same thing two years ago and anyone who starts a gorse fire puts lives and property at risk.”
Once again local people were the heroes, out late into the night once again trying to put out the fires.
The latest fires came just hours after another Donegal County Council warning that conditions for such blazes had worsened.
“Prevailing conditions forecasted over the weekend in Donegal remain extremely favourable for gorse, hill and forestry fires to start,” said a spokeswoman.
“With the current period of dry weather, gorse, heather and other undergrowth is extremely dry. Fires are likely to spread rapidly and get out of control causing unnecessary damage and putting houses, property and possibly life at risk. These fires also interfere with wildlife breeding and nesting and, in many cases, can decimate the local wildlife population.”
Donegal County Council says it would also like to remind landowners and members of the public that under the Wildlife Act 1976 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 it is an offence to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated between 1st day of March and 31st day of August in any year.