The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) have stated that since last Friday there have been fifteen wild fires recorded across seven Irish counties.
The wild fires were reported from Mayo, Louth, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Donegal and Waterford. It has been stated by the IWT that eight out of the fifteen wild fires were reportedly from areas that have been designated for nature conservation and environmental protection.
As burning of vegetation anywhere in Ireland is prohibited from March 1st until August 31st, it can be stated that all fifteen of these wild fires were illegal. The burning of vegetation can be devastating to wildlife that reside in woodland, peatland and upland areas where burning is most common.
Irish Hare
Hedgehog
Pine Marten
Badger – the main hedgehog predator
Irish Red Grouse
The Campaign Officer for the Irish Wildlife Trust, Pádraic Fogarty, has stated that:
“every year we see the same wildlife wipe-out as hillsides and bogs get torched. It’s devastating not only for the natural environment but for the people who live in these areas as their livelihoods and property are put at risk. We need to see greater coordination between the Gardaí, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture to clamp down on this illegal activity”.
Additionally, the Irish Wildlife Trust have released a press statement where they have given their appreciation to the Irish fire services that put out these wild fires and maintain control on the situations.
IWT have also encouraged the public to actively become involved with contacting the organisation when wild fires have been identified. The IWT have said for the public to contact them via their email address: irishwildlife@iwt.ie in the case that a wild fire has been identified.
The Little Owl 
This blog is a great service to those wanting to keep abreast of environmental issues in Ireland. Keep up the good work, and thanks for the follow!
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