Wildfire ‘tears through' Northern Irish conservation site
AN ONGOING wildfire which has been burning since the weekend has 'torn through' a Northern Irish conservation site.
A third of Slieve Beagh, which straddles counties Monaghan, Fermanagh and Tyrone, is estimated to have been damaged since the fire took hold, according to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
Northern Ireland's Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir said the fire is 'another stark reminder on how quickly they can spread, creating significant risk to life and property while causing extensive environmental damage'.
He added: 'The fire in Counties Tyrone and Monaghan has torn through approximately a third of a precious protected site which includes a Special Area of Conservation for the endangered Hen Harrier during nesting season as well as important blanket bog habitat.
A wildfire has ripped through Slieve Beagh in Co. Tyrone
'With the current conditions set to last [in the days ahead] I plead with everyone to heed the elevated hazard warning issued, remain extra vigilant to fires in our countryside and report to the Police or Crimestoppers anyone you know involved in deliberate and malicious fires.
'Once ignited, fire can spread rapidly, especially in areas with dead grasses, gorse, forestry and heather.
'Large areas can become engulfed in a very short period of time putting life, property and wildlife at real risk. This activity must stop before someone is killed or injured.'
Members of the NIFRS are still tackling the wildfire (Pics: NIFRS)
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has urged the public to remain vigilant as the warm dry weather continues this week.
'With the dry weather set to continue over the next few days we are asking the public to support their Firefighters by staying safe from fire in the countryside,' NIFRS Area Commander Barry Ross said.
'Dealing with wildfires is not only challenging and physically demanding for our Firefighters, it is extremely resource intensive for our Service and partner agencies,' he added.
'If you are enjoying the weather this weekend, please do so responsibly and follow our safety advice.'
See More: Northern Ireland, Slieve Beagh, Wildfire
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dublin Live
11-06-2025
- Dublin Live
Met Eireann puts 27 counties under thunderstorm warning including Dublin
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Dublin is one of 27 counties that have been put under a thunderstorm warning by Met Eireann. The warning for 14 counties - Dublin, the rest Leinster, Tipperary and Waterford - kicks in at 12am tonight, and will last until 2pm tomorrow afternoon. Met Eireann is warning of heavy showers and thunderstorms, with a risk of localised flooding, lightning damage, poor visibility, and difficult travelling conditions. A series of Yellow warning will also kick in for different counties at different times. A warning for Cork kicks in at 10pm tonight, which will last until 3am tomorrow. The warning for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon, and Sligo kicks in at 7am Thursday, until 5pm. And a similar Yellow warning for the six Northern Irish counties was issued by the UK Met Office, which will kick in at 6am on Thursday and last until 9pm. And the mixed bag of a summer looks set to continue in Dublin with temperatures heading above 20C today before the rain hits. Today will be humid with highs of 19 to 21C. Scattered showers will hit later tonight and will become more persistent and heavy with a chance of thunderstorms and spot flooding. It will remain quite muggy overnight with temperatures of 13 to 14C. It will be a wet start on Thursday with heavy rain and a chance of more thunderstorms with highs of 19 to 21C. The national forecast for the coming days warns of more showers but there is a chance of drier and sunnier spells next week. Here's the outlook for the coming days: Friday: Another humid day with outbreaks of heavy rain along with scattered thunderstorms. Highest temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees in light to moderate southerly or variable winds, fresher on eastern coasts. Friday night: Frequent showers will continue to spread from the south overnight, some heavy with a chance of thunderstorms. Turning misty or foggy in places in a light variable breeze. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees. Saturday: A showery day with some heavy showers and potential for further thunderstorms. Highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees in light to moderate northwesterly or variable winds. Sunday: More in the way of dry weather on Sunday with some sunny spells and well scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 14 to 19 degrees in moderate westerly winds. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Post
12-05-2025
- Irish Post
Wildfire ‘tears through' Northern Irish conservation site
AN ONGOING wildfire which has been burning since the weekend has 'torn through' a Northern Irish conservation site. A third of Slieve Beagh, which straddles counties Monaghan, Fermanagh and Tyrone, is estimated to have been damaged since the fire took hold, according to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Northern Ireland's Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir said the fire is 'another stark reminder on how quickly they can spread, creating significant risk to life and property while causing extensive environmental damage'. He added: 'The fire in Counties Tyrone and Monaghan has torn through approximately a third of a precious protected site which includes a Special Area of Conservation for the endangered Hen Harrier during nesting season as well as important blanket bog habitat. A wildfire has ripped through Slieve Beagh in Co. Tyrone 'With the current conditions set to last [in the days ahead] I plead with everyone to heed the elevated hazard warning issued, remain extra vigilant to fires in our countryside and report to the Police or Crimestoppers anyone you know involved in deliberate and malicious fires. 'Once ignited, fire can spread rapidly, especially in areas with dead grasses, gorse, forestry and heather. 'Large areas can become engulfed in a very short period of time putting life, property and wildlife at real risk. This activity must stop before someone is killed or injured.' Members of the NIFRS are still tackling the wildfire (Pics: NIFRS) The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has urged the public to remain vigilant as the warm dry weather continues this week. 'With the dry weather set to continue over the next few days we are asking the public to support their Firefighters by staying safe from fire in the countryside,' NIFRS Area Commander Barry Ross said. 'Dealing with wildfires is not only challenging and physically demanding for our Firefighters, it is extremely resource intensive for our Service and partner agencies,' he added. 'If you are enjoying the weather this weekend, please do so responsibly and follow our safety advice.' See More: Northern Ireland, Slieve Beagh, Wildfire
Sunday World
10-05-2025
- Sunday World
Two people rescued from Down house fire with emergency crews stretched with gorse fires issue
Fire service resources have been stretched due to gorse fires from the recent hot, dry weather. Two people were rescued from a house fire in Co Down. The blaze in Downpatrick is believed to have been accidental. It comes as the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service revealed crews are still dealing with the impact of gorse fires. A spokesperson said: 'Firefighters have continued to respond to other incidents across Northern Ireland and attended a well-developed house fire in Downpatrick. Fire crews attended a blaze in Downpatrick. News in 90 seconds - 10th May 2025 "Our regional controls staff provided fire survival guidance to persons trapped in the first floor of the property. "A fire had started in the garage filling the property with smoke. "Crews from Downpatrick, Comber and Ballynahinch arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. "A member of the public acted quickly and managed to get two persons out of the property with a ladder. "The fire is believed to be accidental.' Fire service resources have been stretched due to blazes in the countryside in recent weeks. Hot, dry weather has seen gorse fires spread across Northern Ireland. A blaze near Clogher in Co Tyrone is continuing to burn. NIFRS added: 'Two appliances remain at Ballagh Road in Clogher following the extensive wildfires in the area. The temperature reduced overnight which has helped the situation. Crews will continue to review the area over the next few days. 'We are asking the public to remain vigilant to fires in the countryside, as the dry weather continues. 'If they see fire please dial 999 to ensure NIFRS are aware of the fire.' Officials said the Clogher wildfire has damaged about a third of Slieve Beagh. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said: 'The current fire near Clogher is another stark reminder on how quickly they can spread, creating significant risk to life and property while causing extensive environmental damage. 'The fire in counties Tyrone and Monaghan has torn through approximately a third of a precious protected site which includes a Special Area of Conservation for the endangered Hen Harrier during nesting season as well as important blanket bog habitat. 'With the current conditions set to last into the weekend and beyond I plead with everyone to heed the elevated hazard warning issued, remain extra vigilant to fires in our countryside and report to the police or Crimestoppers anyone you know involved in deliberate and malicious fires.'
