LAST UPDATE | 11 Aug 2022

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE (DFB)has said that the perimeter of a grass wildfire in the Kiltipper area of Dublin has been extinguished. 

In a tweet this evening, DFB said firefighters from Tallaght had made good progress at tackling the blaze and were using a lightweight hose to put it out.

They added that it was prevented from spreading to nearby property, but warned that pockets of the ground would continue to emit smoke throughout the evening.

The perimeter of the #Kiltipper fire is now out, pockets of the ground will continue to emit smoke this evening. pic.twitter.com/P7Wu52jZ8E

— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) August 11, 2022

It comes after a number of fires were reported throughout the country today, as a high temperature warning remains in place.

Earlier, firefighters from DFB were fighting a blaze at “a wooded area on fire at Fitzsimon’s Wood off the Blackglen Road” in Dublin.

“The smoke is visible from across the bay. The fire is close to the @M50Dublin, so please do take care and expect reduced visibility depending on wind direction,” they said.

Meanwhile, emergency services and firefighters were at the scene of a large blaze in the Mossgrove area of West Cork this afternoon, approximately two kilometres from the Michael Collins memorial park.

CorkBeo have reported that ash and smoke were spotted over 20 kilometres away in Ballinhassig.

#CorkTraffic Reports of a large fire in the Mossgrove area (near Beal Na Blath.) Emergency services are on scene. Take care as smoke may impede visibility as a result. pic.twitter.com/3bsG9w8GGn

— Cork Safety Alerts (@CorkSafetyAlert) August 11, 2022

A fire also broke out in Dublin’s Tolka Valley Park for the third time in the past month, while another blaze was reported in the Ferns area of Wexford.

It is unclear whether these fires have been brought under control or if they have caused any substantial damage.

As temperatures topped 30 degrees today, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has appealed to the public to be conscious of the dangers posed by fire.

It is an offence to light a fire which causes or is likely to cause the burning of any vegetation within one mile of a woodland or Nature Reserve, and those doing so may face prosecution.

The NPWS said that fires are particularly destructive in spring and summer as it is prime season for nesting birds, breeding mammals and the regeneration of growth.

Fires at this time of year are also particularly hard to extinguish. According to the NPWS, a large fire in Wicklow Mountains National Park in May/June 2019 between Lough Bray and the Sally Gap burnt into the underlying peat and burnt for nearly a month underground.

More recently, a fire last July that burnt over 200ha of upland conservation habitat and woodland in the National Park and the adjacent Coillte Forest in Glencree continues to burn underground despite being repeatedly doused with water. 

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan said: “The message is simple – be careful. Don’t light fires or barbecues, keep access roads clear for emergency services, and if you’re camping, let someone know where you’ll be.

“There is a high risk of fire right now. Be vigilant and keep yourself and the wild places we all love safe,” he said.

Additional reporting by Jane Moore