THE NATIONAL PARKS and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has appealed to the public not to light fires or barbecues in parks or nature reserves, following three blazes in a Co Wexford reserve in 24 hours.

Fire services were called three times to attend different blazes in the Raven Wood, located on the south-east coast near Curracloe Beach, over the course of Sunday night and Monday.

The nature reserve, which is owned by the NPWS, is a crucial haven for several species of birds in Ireland.

Early summer is a crucial time for wildlife, especially ground-nesting birds and mammals who are now rearing their young

The Director General of the NPWS, Niall Ó Donnchú, has asked for public cooperation to protect nature. He said: “While NPWS has increased ground crews and monitoring from the air this week, we still need to enlist your help to protect nature at this high risk time.

“We ask that members of the public not light fires or barbecues in any national parks or nature reserves, or indeed in nature generally. We are also asking that the public be vigilant and report any fire activity without delay.”

Wexford Fire Service said three units attended the scene of a fire at the Raven Wood on Sunday night, having received a call alerting it at 8:40pm. This fire was dealt with by 11:27pm.

Two crews were then required to call back to the area again at 03:54am on Monday morning, with the fire put out shortly later.

Fire crews later attended a separate fire in the Raven Wood at 2.40pm that afternoon.