Tag Archives: gorse fires

THE demands placed on emergency call operators and Clare County Fire and Rescue Service during the COVID-19 emergency has led to a call for landowners being warned to “cease-and-desist all controlled burning immediately”. Considering the ongoing Covid-19 national emergency and in the lead up to vegetation fire season, Clare’s chief fire officer Adrian Kelly advised all landowners that controlled burning will no longer be accepted. Mr Kelly said controlled burning should not take place “under any circumstances, until further notice is given.”    “Should landowners ignore this notice and proceed to carry out any burning and a 999-emergency call is received relating to a fire on their property, then the fire service will be mobilised to attend and extinguish the fire. In addition to this all the costs associated with the attendance of the fire service will be invoiced to the property owner,” stated the fire chief.  The fire service warning comes as units of the Fire Brigade from Kilkee and …

ICSA rural development chairman, Billy Gray has called for a complete re-think on how to protect the hen harrier, an endangered bird that is found in the East Clare/South Galway region. Recent extensive gorse fires in the area increased concerns for the long term future of the bird. Mr Gray argues that the Government response to the hen harrier is a denial of reality which will not safeguard the bird but will continue to have a devastating impact on farmers with hen harrier designation. “The GLAS scheme is of some help to farmers with smaller areas of designation, but it is inadequate for many farmers,” said Mr. Gray. “The ban on afforestation needs to be reviewed as there are considerable doubts about whether it is actually warranted or whether a more nuanced approach could yield better results. Most importantly, the Government needs to wake up to the reality that the hen harrier cannot thrive in rural communities if its presence …