The Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity has described a fire in Killarney National Park as devastating and claims it was caused by human activity.
Members of the Kerry Fire Service spent nearly seven hours battling the blaze which is understood to have damaged to around 15 hectares of the national park.
Killarney Gardaí say the N71 road stretching from Muckross House to Moll's Gap is closed as firefighters continue to deal with some blazes. They are asking people to divert via Kilgarvan.
Emergency services were alerted to the fire at Five Mile Bridge on the N71 Killarney-Kenmare road and Moll's Gap before 5.30pm yesterday.
Units of the Kerry Fire Service from Kenmare, Killarney and Killorglin attended the scene and were on site until aro und 12.15am when the fire was extinguished.
Helicopters were also involved in the operation.
Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan says the fire in Killarney National Park was not a natural disaster, he says it was caused by human activity, not nature.
He says for days the National Parks and Wildlife Service has been battling fires nationwide, including incidents believed to have been started by what he terms the “reckless use of disposable barbecues” which he says is “utterly unacceptable”.
The Nature Minister says lighting fires or using disposable barbecues in a National Park or any wild area is not carelessness, it is gross irresponsibility – especially during a heatwave.
He says as the Minister for Nature he takes a zero-tolerance attitude towards lighting fires in our national parks and wild places.
Minister of State O’Sullivan praised the NPWS staff, firefighters and emergency services who worked in extreme conditions to contain the fire in Killarney National Park and protect one of Ireland’s greatest natural assets.
Image by Peter O'Toole
