Mid-West gorse fires close motorway

Poor visibility because of gorse fires forced the closure of the M7 between Tipperary and Limerick on Thursday night.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) confirmed the closure of the motorway between Junction 28 at Annacotty (Limerick) and Junction 26 at Nenagh (Tipperary).

Ireland is currently under a Status Orange High Forest Fire Risk Warning until next Monday.

The alert has been put in place due to forecast dry weather and moderate easterly winds over the next 10 to 14 days, which follows a drier than average March.

Under Irish law, the cutting, grubbing, burning or other destruction of vegetation growing on “any land not then cultivated” is prohibited between 1st March and 31st August annually.

However, gorse fires have occurred in recent weeks in some parts of the country, including in West Clare and the Mourne Mountains and Glens of Antrim.

On Wednesday night, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service responded to a gorse fire in the Silverhill Road area of the Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone.

Three units of the service extinguished the blaze, which damaged 10 acres of land, according to The Belfast Telegraph.

According to the Department of Agriculture, “Arising from current weather patterns a high fire risk is deemed to exist in all areas where hazardous fuels such as dead grasses and shrub fuels such as heather and gorse exist.”

The Department said easterly high-pressure dominated weather continues to induce moderate to fresh south winds across Ireland and this is forecast to continue over coming days.

“Strongly elevated fire risks are expected in areas with fire-prone upland vegetation types, and fire behaviour and spread rates are likely to be strongly influenced by lower humidity levels associated with easterly winds and elevated windspeeds, which may exceed 20km/h at times,” added the Department.

The Department has also requested landowners and the public to avoid all outdoor fires and other open ignition sources.

Members of the public and visitors to forests and other recreational areas are also being asked by Coillte to cooperate with all requests regarding fire safety, obey all relevant bye-laws and should not use barbecues or other outdoor fire sources in amenity areas.