Significant steps have been taken to avoid another wildfire like the one that destroyed large sections of Killarney National Park in 2021.
That’s according to regional manager of the National Parks and Wildlife Service southern division, Eamonn Meskell.
He was speaking at the recent annual general meeting of Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.
Wildfires in April 2021 destroyed 2,500 hectares of Killarney National Park, including habitats in the UNESCO biosphere reserve.
An action plan has since been put in place to avoid a repeat of that devastation.
That’s according to regional manager of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) southern division, Eamonn Meskell, who delivered the keynote address at the recent AGM of Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.
NPWS management and staff meet regularly with the fire service to plan for the safety of the park, and a fire plan with detailed maps has been prepared.
Mr Meskell says early smoke and fire detection appliances have been provided to spot an outbreak before it gets too big.
The NPWS has purchased vehicles fitted with water pumps, which are on site year-round.
A fire team has been set up within Killarney National Park, and staff are to be trained by a specialist UK company.
A helicopter is on retention and, in the event of another fire, it’ll have Bambi buckets, which are specialised buckets suspended from a helicopter to deliver water for aerial firefighting.
Eamonn Meskell says a review of the damage caused in 2021 is still ongoing, to determine if the damaged habitat is capable of restoring itself, and to ensure all the correct measures are being taken.
