Caution urged after Mayo wildfire damages hundreds of acres of land

A WILDFIRE in west Mayo has damaged hundreds of acres of land.

While the cause of the fire is unknown, members of the public are being urged to exercise care when disposing of rubbish such as cigarette butts and glass.

The appeal was made by Louisburgh Councillor Chris Maxwell after a 'dangerous situation' occurred on Thursday afternoon in the Cregganbaun area.

A wildfire started out at Doolough lake and quickly spread, making its way towards Cregganbaun and Doogan Hill, he explained.

Hundreds of acres of land was burnt, and wildlife killed, with livestock stressed and possibly killed along with their unborn lambs.

Homes were evacuated as they were in the line of fire, he added, though thankfully no one was injured or homes lost.

Said Councillor Maxwell in a social media update: “I want to thank the several units of firefighters who came, the local farmers and their families who helped to fight the fire and also opened up their homes for refreshments and facilities, the local farm contractors who came with slurry tanks to help pump water and dampen the area, and to everyone who rang me to offer their help in any way they could.'

He noted: “There has been other wildfires around the county and country in the last few days.

“I don’t know how this fire started but I urge people to please dispose of their rubbish, e.g cigarette butts, glass and general rubbish, in a safe manner. Please don’t just discard it along the roadside.

“This fire could have ended in tragedy and we don’t want a repeat of this.”