LAST UPDATE | 15 Jul

A “DEVASTATING” WILDFIRE at Killarney National Park is the result of human activity, Nature Minister Christopher O’Sullivan said.

The fire broke out in the park on Tuesday. Emergency services battled throughout the evening to bring it under control.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said it is believed the fire broke out at around 6pm, with members of the public quickly raising the alarm.

Fire crews from around Kerry responded to the incident with support from NPWS staff. The service’s air support unit was deployed and helicopters used Bambi buckets to douse the flames.

Operations were stood down at 10.15pm. 

Between 20 and 22 hectares were affected – including a mixture of dry heath, wet heath, and blanket bog, “along with pockets of native old oak woodland”

The worst of the damage was caused to the area of Five Mile Bridge on the N71 Killarney-Kenmare road.

The affected area is estimated to be around 25 hectares in size and includes a mixture of dry heath, wet heath and blanket bog along with pockets of native old oak woodland. Valerie O Sullivan Valerie O Sullivan

O’Sullivan said the fire is not a natural disaster. For days, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have been battling fires believed to have been started by the “reckless use of disposable barbecues”, he said, condemning this as “utterly unacceptable”.

Lighting fires or using disposable barbecues in a national park or any wild area goes beyond carelessness, he continued, calling it “gross irresponsibility – especially during a heatwave”.

“It is a crime against nature, against local communities and against future generations who have the right to inherit these precious landscapes intact.

“The message is simple: leave these places as you found them or better, and leave no trace.”

He thanked the NPWS staff, firefighters and emergency services who worked to contain the fire.

NPWS staff are continuing to assess the affected area, monitor for any remaining hotspots and determine whether any further firefighting operations are required, it said.