Wildfires sweep across Ireland: Slievenamon blaze may be contained by weekend as Wicklow and Killarney also burn

Slievenamon fire: four days and counting

The wildfire on Slievenamon mountain in Co Tipperary was first reported shortly after 8.45am on Monday, 20 July. A change in wind direction on Wednesday pushed the flames into a Coillte forest, causing the fire to "progress significantly" overnight despite the efforts of ground crews and a helicopter, according to Coillte communications manager Pat Neville. By Thursday afternoon, Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service acting senior assistant chief Carol Kennedy said the blaze was expected to intensify during the day but that cooler overnight conditions and forecast weekend rain could help bring it under control.

It all depends on the weather, but we're expecting rain on the weekend which will certainly help, so that will definitely aid the dampening of the fire.

Kennedy flew with the Air Corps on Thursday morning to survey the scene and coordinate ground crews. Up to 12 local farmers worked through the night with tractors and tankers to draw water from the river Anner and wet the ground, while two helicopters collected water from nearby sources to drop on the flames. The fire service stressed there is no immediate threat to life, but residents downwind were advised to keep windows and doors closed.

Wicklow and Killarney: separate fronts

Fires also burned in Wicklow Mountains National Park, where staff described "the devastating consequences of being careless outdoors during an orange fire warning". Between 200 and 300 hectares were damaged at Glencree and Featherbed mountain, with crews from Bray, Greystones, Blessington, Dublin Fire Brigade, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Coillte all involved. A helicopter with bambi buckets was deployed to contain hotspots. Dublin Fire Brigade district officer Darren O'Connor said the fires were very intense and resource-intensive, noting that the brigade dealt with over 20 significant wildfire incidents in the first two weeks of July, compared with 11 in the same period last year.

As more people start using the outdoors we have seen an increase. Fire services have been tackling gorse and grass fires in several other counties, including in Cork, Laois, Kildare and Dublin.

In Killarney National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, fires burned more than 20 hectares, stretching emergency services from Kerry County Council and NPWS personnel.

Community response and public warnings

Residents near Slievenamon described anxious scenes. 2FM presenter Roz Purcell, who lives on the mountain with her family, said embers fell near houses and that belongings were packed. She praised local farmers who arrived with water tanks and slurry tankers to protect properties and move animals.

We would actually be lost without them. It's just people who live here.

Authorities repeatedly urged the public to stay away from fire areas to keep narrow roads clear for emergency vehicles and not to fly drones, which would disrupt helicopter operations. Coillte's Pat Neville said the fires were "quite a spectacle" but that public presence was hindering access.

Climate and fire risk

Ireland has been under a Condition Orange high-risk forest fire warning following a heatwave and drought. Coillte stressed that none of the fires start naturally in Ireland, and the public was asked to avoid lighting campfires, using disposable barbecues, or discarding cigarettes outdoors. The Irish Times editorial noted that climate change underlies the increasing spread of wildfires and called for urgent policy action.

What's next

Firefighting operations resumed on Thursday morning and will continue, with additional crews and resources deployed. The immediate focus remains containing the Slievenamon fire and protecting nearby properties. If rain arrives as forecast, the blaze may be extinguished by the weekend, but the situation remains changeable.