Fire chief urges scrambler bikers to stay away from area around Slievenamon fire
The operation to quench the gorse wildfire on Slievenamon has entered its third day
Tipperary Fire Service crews, Coillte personnel and the Air Corps are continuing the battle to put out the wildfire on Slievenamon this morning (Wednesday, July 22) with a second privately operated helicopter due to join the operation later in the morning.
The Fire Service has repeated its appeal to the public not to fly drones in the airspace around the fire and also appealed to the public not to ride scrambler bikes on the mountain near the fire as these have also been hampering the firefighting operation.
Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Carol Kennedy said the fire subsided overnight as temperatures dropped and they are trying to further dampen the flames quickly this morning before temperatures rise again and cause the fire to spread.
She said fire fighters from Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir Fire Stations are at the scene supporting the Air Corps helicopter water drops by working to beat out the flames.
Ms Kennedy said the fire has “touched” some forestry but it's hard to tell the extent of any damage at this stage.
This is the third day of the gorse fire that was first reported to emergency services around 8.45am on Monday. It erupted on the side of the mountain near Killurney.
Ms Kennedy said three helicopters, including one from the Air Corps and two from Executive Helicopters, dumped loads of water on the wildfire in relays throughout yesterday (Tuesday).
She repeated the appeal issued to the public yesterday not to fly drones around the vicinity of the wildfire as they are hampering the helicopters’ efforts to fight the fire. The firefighting helicopters can't operate when a drone is in the airspace.
People riding scrambler bikes in the vicinity of the fire have also impeded the firefighting operation, and she appealed for this activity to stop.
Ms Kennedy said the fire has attracted a lot of extra traffic from sightseers on the roads in the vicinity of the blaze.
“ We want to limit it to local traffic. We have a lot of people coming for a look, but we need to have the roads clear for emergency services vehicles.”
In a statement issued at 11am, Tipperary Fire Service and Tipperary County Council said the local water source being used to fight the blaze has been strengthened to support the aerial operations.
“Today’s response will focus on limiting the further spread of the fire and intensifying efforts to extinguish it where conditions allow.
“Current weather conditions remain favourable, with wind direction assisting firefighting efforts and temperatures expected to remain moderate through the morning. This is providing an important operational window for crews.”
The Fire Service advised residents in the Slievenamon area, particularly those located downwind of the fire, to keep windows and doors closed where possible due to the potential impact of smoke.
“Individuals with respiratory conditions, older persons and other vulnerable groups should take particular care and follow relevant public health advice.”
“Tipperary County Council and Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service continue to work closely with all relevant agencies in managing this incident.
“The situation remains under constant review and further updates will be issued as verified information becomes available. The cooperation of the public is greatly appreciated and remains essential to ensuring the safety of emergency personnel and the effectiveness of firefighting operations,” the statement concluded.