The relentless efforts of fire officers have won out against the gorse fires which raged across the hills of Donegal over the past week.
Donegal’s fire and rescue teams fought the flames day and night and made every effort to contain the fires with limited resources.
The number of gorse fire outbreaks rose dramatically in the past week as warm and dry weather systems came over the country.
Fire crews from Carndonagh, Buncrana, Moville, Letterkenny, Stranorlar and Killybegs and the NI Fire Service worked through exhaustion to extinguish the flames on areas including the Urris Hills in Inishowen. It has been confirmed today that the Urris Hill fire has been put out as of yesterday afternoon.
Officers saved the nearby thatched Mamore Cottages and other homes from the flames with a protective layer of foam.
Image: Buncrana Fire and Rescue Service
The Moville Fire Service have congratulated the Ballyshannon men (pictured above) who attended the gorse fire at Greencastle yesterday and announced that these fires are all extinguished also.
The public are being asked to remain vigilant and take extreme care to prevent further outbreaks. Glen Hamilton, Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer has asked members of the public to cooperate with the fire services. People are warned to be careful when burning rubbish, leaving barbeques unattended, throwing cigarettes out car windows etc.
Dramatic images and videos were captured over the week as Donegal’s scenery was marred by fires.
Image: Buncrana Fire and Rescue Service
The fire which broke out on the Urris Hill at the Mamore Gap was so large the smoke plumes could be seen from space:
This video from Windy Day Media shows almost volcanic-like plumes emerging from the hills:
Donegal Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has said that lessons must be learned from the latest spate of gorse fires across Donegal.
Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn called on the Minister with responsibility for the Environment and for overseeing the National Emergency Coordination Group, Simon Coveney to clarify what oversight they have had in relation to the recent spate of gorse fires across Donegal and elsewhere in the State.
Senator Pádraig MacLochlainn
He was speaking after many local fire and rescue teams were stretched to exhaustion in dealing with a large number of gorse fires across the county.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said: “Our Donegal fire and rescue teams have worked tirelessly over the last week to contain and extinguish gorse fires across the county. In the Urris area of Inishowen, the crews worked over four days with very little sleep. They were all absolutely exhausted at the conclusion of their efforts.
“Our communities are deeply indebted to them, but we now need to ask questions of the Government.
“Who was overseeing this emergency situation at national level?
“Who was making decisions on the deployment of resources like helicopters with water and Defence Forces personnel?
“Was the National Emergency Coordination Group of senior Ministers and Department officials convened?
“I have raised these important questions in the Seanad and I will be pursuing answers from Minister Coveney. Lessons must be learned from all of this. Our fire and rescue teams and our rural communities in Donegal need to be reassured.”
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