Public urged to avoid areas of Co Wicklow due to reignition of wildfire

Wicklow County Council has urged people to stay away from the Glencree area due to a developing fire in the area.An operation involving firefighters and personnel from other agencies was in progress along Military Road, which remained closed. Large amounts of smoke have spread due to a reignition of the fire.Firefighters have the blaze at Glencree was under control, but it had not been extinguished, the council said. The fire front was moving slowly in a southerly direction while fire crews and a helicopter continued operations on Saturday.Wicklow County Fire Service has advised those living in the area and who are experiencing smoke drift to keep windows and doors closed and to stay indoors. READ MORENational Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) staff were now in their 10th day of emergency fire response in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. Bray and Blessington fire services units were on site. Elsewhere emergency services attended a wildfire in south Kilkenny on Friday night. The blaze, on Tory Hill, was brought under control after firefighters, farmers and residents worked through the night to contain it.Local Fianna Fáil councillor Jenny Catt Slattery said the cause was not known, but praised the community’s response and urged people to stay away from the area.“Only for the community last night, I’d believe that the fire could have spread over the whole hill. They are a fantastic help to the fire brigade and the gardaí as well,” she said. There has been growing optimism that the fire on Slievenamon mountain in Co Tipperary is abating. Though the wildfire is in its sixth day, Tipperary County Council said “fire activity on the southern side of Slievenamon has reduced significantly over recent days”.Although “a number of hotspots remain, these continue to be closely monitored and managed by crews on the ground”.Localised flare-ups were identified on Friday evening, but measures were being taken to prevent any escalation. “As the response moves into a more intensive ground-based firefighting phase, additional specialist equipment has been deployed to support operations in challenging terrain and assist with containment and extinguishment efforts,” the council said. The focus has switched to the northeastern side of the mountain near Cloneen and Killusty, although broader surveillance remained in place. “The current wind direction remains unchanged and is expected to continue in the short term. Consequently, smoke may continue to be noticeable in areas to the east of Slievenamon intermittently throughout the day,” the local authority said.Fine Gael Tipperary South TD Michael Murphy praised the emergency services for their efforts. Noting the efforts of farmers in particular, he said the fire at Killurney on the southern side had been “significantly subdued” and that he hoped “we will be in a far better place” in the next 24 to 48 hours. Susan Pairceir, from the online Clonmel Community Help and Support, said: “Day six today and it’s going to burn for a few days and smoke will linger. We are hoping for lots of rain, but it’s looking unlikely.” Cloneen Sports & Social Club has made the use of Cloneen Hall, including showers and the kitchen, available to personnel.