National Park since Friday night is finally being brought under control with five helicopters at the scene.
Kerry’s chief fire officer Andrew Macilwaith said air support had been key to bringing the fires under control as five helicopters – threehelicopters and two private including one from Scotland were at the scene on Monday. A fly over by the Coastguard Rescue 155 helicopter earlier had identified the fires left on Monday morning and the team spent the rest of the afternoon dousing the woodlands.
The divisional manager of the NPWS, Dr Philip Buckley, has said the fire was “by far and away” the most extensive ever in the park’s history and would have long-term consequences.It had burned well beyond the park limits and rare habitats, designated conservation areas, dry and wet heath have been damaged and destroyed.
The N71 road remained open while fire trucks and engines tried to negotiate their way to and from the fires. For most of the day firemen had to operate a stop-go system at the area of the Five Mile Bridge, along with tackling the fires.Any investigation into the fire in the Killarney National Park must not be just about the cause but must address the real extent of the damage including air pollution as well as improved management of woodland, the Irish Wildlife Trust has said.