AN “ILLEGAL” FIRE within Wicklow Mountains National Park last week destroyed an area “more than 50 times the size of Croke Park”.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) this week told The Journal that it has launched an investigation into a fire which began in the early hours of Thursday 28 May on open hillside in Piperstown, near the Glenasmole Valley in South County Dublin.

This land is part of Wicklow Mountains National Park. 

In a post to social media last Friday, the Wicklow Mountains National Park the fire was not caused by “a glass bottle, cigarettes, or a barbecue”.

“This fire was lit intentionally, destroying hundreds of hectares of habitat and all associated animals and insects and plants within it.”

A Condition Orange fire risk was in place at the time of the fire.

Around 66 hectares of the national park was burnt, despite the best efforts of firefighters, including use of multiple fire tenders and two helicopters.

Houses and a forest plantation were at risk due to the fire, and smoke impacted local air quality and traffic as far as the M50.

Dublin Fire Service meanwhile said strong winds had caused “whirling vortices” while firefighters tackled the blaze.

“This utterly reckless act put homes and lives at risk, diverted essential emergency services, and devastated vulnerable habitats, water quality and wildlife in the middle of the nesting season,” said Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan in a statement today.

He said that the “emergency response” is completed and that a garda investigation is now underway.

O’Sullivan added that the NPWS has “significantly ramped up its capacity and readiness for these events” and will be utilising its “eyes in the sky” aerial surveillance programme over the summer months.

He also noted that legislation “specifically prohibits the burning of vegetation during the nesting season” and that there are no exemptions to this.

“Illegal burning is a wildlife crime and is subject to investigation and prosecution,” said O’Sullivan.

“Nesting season is a time for growth and for the future survival of our rarest birds and wildlife. That makes this act particularly cruel.”

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He commended the emergency services and NPWS personnel who tackled the blaze, as well as the member of the public who reported the fire.

O’Sullivan added that he is “determined that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions”.

He noted that fires such as these have a “devastating and long-lasting impact on nature” and that NPWS staff have reported numerous Pipit and Lark nests destroyed.

“The stories of adult birds carrying beaks full of food looking for their nests now torched is truly heartbreaking,” said O’Sullivan.

He added that his thoughts are with the team at Wicklow Mountains National Park as they assess and monitor the damage.

Meanwhile, fire crews also battled a fire on Bray Head last week.

It also began on Thursday and on Friday, some areas continued to smoulder and reignite.

Image of last week's fire at Bray Head The Journal The Journal

Crews remained on site until 11pm on Friday and return last Saturday to undertake dampening-down operations after receiving reports of smoke in the area.