There has been an over 550% jump in the number of gorse fires attended by the Kerry Fire Service during the first five months of the year.
That’s according to figures compiled the by Kerry Fire Service.
These figures outline the numbers and types of call-outs the service attends.
Between January and the end of May this year, Kerry Fire Service dealt with 124 gorse fires in the county.
This represents a 552% increase compared to the same period the previous year, when there were 19 gorse fires in the county.
The Kerry Fire Service was mobilised 794 times in the first five months of the 2025, up from 623 at the end of May last year, a 27% rise.
The number of road traffic collisions increased by 14% during the period, from 93 to 106.
Instances of chimney fires in the county decreased by 39% during the period, with 25; down from 41.
In total between January and the end of May, Kerry Fire Service attended 254 fires, a jump of 75% on the same period in 2024, when it attended 144 fires.
