A Massive gorse fire has broken Rann na Fast, Donegal this morning around 11:30am with a number of fire units tackling the fire. Gardai are also arrived to the area of the gorse fire.

The fire has been reported to have broken out close to a house.

Yesterday the Department of Agriculture food and the marine issued a Condition RED – Extreme Fire Risk Take Immediate Action

A ‘Type A’ high pressure system associated with extreme fire risk potential is currently located East of Scotland and is inducing moderate to fresh Easterly airflows over Ireland. Fine Fuel Moisture Code levels are currently above 85 and wind speeds are likely to exceed the critical 30kmh threshold in most areas over the next 48 hours. This type of pattern has previously been associated with extreme fire behaviour under Irish conditions. Projected Initial Spread Index values are also in the very high range in Western areas. This indicates a strong potential for rapid fire spread and difficulty of suppression in typical upland fuels. Fire behaviour may be moderated by increased live growth in some areas.

Based on recent fire incidents, most ignitions risks appear to be associated with deliberate ignitions on areas where active turf cutting or illegal waste dumping is taking place. Members of the public intending to visit forests and other recreational sites are reminded of the requirement to remain within 5km of their homes and to adhere to regulations introduced to limit the spread of Covid-19. Vehicles should not be parked at site entrances or impede emergency service access to forest roads.

This risk condition is currently forecast to peak between Tuesday 05/05/2020 and Thursday 07/05/2020.

Advisory

Under extreme Fire Risk Conditions any ignition source in hazardous fuels will give rise to rapid and unpredictable wildfire development and spread. Under these conditions, in upland situations fire can be expected to cover extensive areas and pose extreme difficulties to suppression efforts and may potentially likely give rise to Major Emergency scenarios.

Typically, extreme conditions derive from ‘Type A’ Northern European High Pressure Systems, where air circulates in a clockwise direction over the Northern European and Central European land masses. This circulation across the land mass causes the air to shed moisture and become very dry, which in turn dries out vegetation on the ground very rapidly inducing high levels of combustibility, particularly in fine fuels. Where the edges of these Easterly systems rest over UK/Ireland such cold dry air will be accompanied by strong and often cold very low humidity winds from the South East or North East that will support further drying and rapid fire propagation and spread to produce high intensity fire events, that can be further exacerbated where fuels and topography permit.

The issue of Condition Red Extreme fire risk warnings is a comparatively rare event and implies that recipients should take immediate action to protect resources and property.

Such action may involve the mobilisation, assembly and prepositioning of resources such as water tankers, machinery, personnel and contract aviation support in high risk areas.

Preliminary notification of Aid to Civil Power / Aid to Civil Authority requests by relevant authorities may also be warranted where extreme conditions are deemed likely to exist, and where emergency response requirements may be likely to exceed the capabilities of civil Authorities.

Forest owners / managers, other land managers, landowners and local authorities should implement fire patrols to exclude all fire activity from the landscape and enforce relevant fire protection legislation.

Rural residents should also implement a high degree of vigilance, and check on elderly or other vulnerable neighbours and assist with preparation and reassurance, and evacuation if this is deemed necessary by the Local Authorities.

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