Status Red Forest Fire Alert

Graces7

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/0626/973345-fire-warning-hot-weather/

Any reports of fires?

A terrible risk and we are all taking care

Larbre34

We might be, but the usual selfish feckless eejits who go out in nature twice a year to get drunk and barbecue wherever they feel like won't be.

Although it is so ridiculously dry I would expect quite a few fires within the week, especially in the gorse

Graces7

Larbre34 wrote: »

We might be, but the usual selfish feckless eejits who go out in nature twice a year to get drunk and barbecue wherever they feel like won't be.

Although it is so ridiculously dry I would expect quite a few fires within the week, especially in the gorse

In Canada where areas are on Red Fire Alert and signs are everywhere, a man is in jail for throwing a lighted cigarette from a car window. A cop happened to see him and pulled him over and picked the cigarette up..

And we can only each do what we can do. and report any fires.

civdef

You can see fires here nearly live (cloud cover can normally hamper satellite detection a bit - but not a problem this week):

http://effis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/static/effis_current_situation/public/index.html


It also can show fire danger ratings using different models for the next few days.


It's not all about weather - at this time of year the risk isn't generally as high as late April, start of May because the vegetation has greened up and contains a lot of moisture.

Macy0161

Haven't really heard of forest fires yet, but plenty of gorse fires the last few days in North Wicklow/ South county Dublin.

M.T. Cranium

(also posted in heat wave thread)

Recent visible satellite imagery was showing several streaks that could be smoke from wildfires. Could anyone confirm or deny?

The ones that I noticed were (a) near Mullingar heading w.s.w. and relatively large, (b) somewhere southwest of Mullingar parallel to (a), then (c) several smaller ones in west Cork and south Kerry.

M.T. Cranium

Re Canadian forest fires, in general terms three quarters of North American forest fires are human caused and the other quarter are the work of lightning, although that ratio tends to increase if there are frequent dry thunderstorms.

It's either some butthead tossing a butt while walking a trail or driving, or a campfire not totally extinguished, or it can be from cars parking on dry grass in parks within forested areas, just sparking a fire from the heat of their running motors. Another cause can be train track sparks jumping into nearby forested areas.

Not something you often have to think about in Ireland but all those same things could happen there.

Gaoth Laidir

In Sardinia every year the bulk of fires are caused by caffoni deliberately starting them early in the morning. Proper firefighting air service there, with Canadairs and Helitankers flat out a lot of days. The grass there is brown/yellow from around May-October.

testicles

This post has been deleted.

Mullaghteelin

The streetlights are casting beams as if there is a slight smokiness in the air in Balbriggan. Its very subtle, but theres something hanging in the air.
Theres also a large fire near Manchester tonight, with homes at risk.

Deedee5

Mullaghteelin wrote: »

The streetlights are casting beams as if there is a slight smokiness in the air in Balbriggan. Its very subtle, but theres something hanging in the air.
Theres also a large fire near Manchester tonight, with homes at risk.

Also in Balbriggan and seen the same. It’s quite odd. No smell of smoke could be dust from the fields?

Macy0161

Mullaghteelin wrote: »

Theres also a large fire near Manchester tonight, with homes at risk.

That fire has been going for 3 or 4 days - pick up and change in wind direction put the homes in danger.

Graces7

Macy0161 wrote: »

That fire has been going for 3 or 4 days - pick up and change in wind direction put the homes in danger.

https://www.rte.ie/news/uk/2018/0627/973511-saddleworth-moor-fire/

Horrific ; such a huge tract of land

Irish Stones

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

In Sardinia every year the bulk of fires are caused by caffoni deliberately starting them early in the morning. Proper firefighting air service there, with Canadairs and Helitankers flat out  a lot of days. The grass there is brown/yellow from around May-October.

Over here in Italy we wouldn't use that soft word (caffoni, that actually is cafoni, plural of cafone) to describe such a disgusting human being that loves to see forests and bushes in fire.

Graces7

Irish Stones wrote: »

Over here in Italy we wouldn't use that soft word (caffoni, that actually is cafoni, plural of cafone) to describe such a disgusting human being that loves to see forests and bushes in fire.

We do have more suitable words here in Ireland.

Kamili

Theres been a forest fire in Saggart over the weekend.

https://lovindublin.com/video/aerial-view-drone-saggart-fire


https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1010587401230671874

https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1010540112323674112

and of course people get in the way:

https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1010844168862818305


I was up that way on Saturday and saw the helicopter refilling in the lake up at Brittas to try put it out.

Irish Stones

Graces7 wrote: »

Irish Stones wrote: »

Over here in Italy we wouldn't use that soft word (caffoni, that actually is cafoni, plural of cafone) to describe such a disgusting human being that loves to see forests and bushes in fire.

We do have more suitable words here  in Ireland.

I'm sure you do!

highdef

Looks like a large fire has broken out in the Dublin mountains. Can see it clearly from near the city centre.

Rougies

highdef wrote: »

Looks like a large fire has broken out in the Dublin mountains. Can see it clearly from near the city centre.

That looks like a big one!

Larbre34

Is it the Saggart fire flared up again I wonder?

Rougies

Larbre34 wrote: »

Is it the Saggart fire flared up again I wonder?

Nah, it's way southeast of Saggart. I can see the source plume from my window here. Looks like it's coming from the Killakee Mountain area. Really belching out a lot of smoke now.

Graces7

https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0627/973640-forest-fires-dublin-fire-brigade/

" Dublin Fire Brigade has said it is still working to damp down forest fires in woods in the Dublin hills.

Fire Brigade crews have attended the affected areas repeatedly over the last few weeks to spray water and use shovels to beat down flames at several sites around the Barnaslingan/Lead Mines area near Kilternan.

But the heat has now got into the ground at the fire sites and embers in the vegetation and the turf are reigniting the flames when fanned by breezes or winds.

A spokesperson told RTÉ News that it will take "three good days of rain" to cool off the ground and properly extinguish the fires. Until then the fire brigade will continue to monitor the situation and is working with Coillte and other landowners. "

When I lived by the Cornish coast, a headland caught fire and the same there.It went into the ground and rumbled on for weeks .

we need rain

civdef

https://southernafrica.afis.co.za/

This is a South African site but has good satellite detection for all over the world - if you click on Active Fire (Low Earth Orbit) and then Modis/VIIRS fires active today you can see the current bigger fires (smouldering fires generally won't be detected).

Rougies

Went up to take a closer look at that Dublin mountain fire. It was on the western slopes of Killakee Mountain (this photo is looking at the eastern slope). Seems to be stopped now.

Meteorite58

https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1012019387061227521

https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1011979762770857984

Graces7

There was a car burnt out when the wind changed direction. no one hurt, thankfully..

https://www.rte.ie/news/weather/2018/0628/973784-weather-ireland/

Donegal Storm

Was out for a jog along the canal this evening and the bushes along the canal verge are all on fire, presumably either a cigarette or some idiot kids. Fire brigade just showed up as I got back so should limit the damage, about 50 metres burned but luckily only spreading linearly along the canal

giveitholly

Forest fire near the kilbehenny/Mitchelstown area,helicopters taking water from the lakes on the galtees

dogmatix

Big fire just starting up on the three rock mountain, dublin. It's behind the old gym building - I was up at the summit at lunchtime and all was clear then. We where remarking on the prominent wildfire over at Carrickgollogan at the time.

Rougies

dogmatix wrote: »

Big fire just starting up on the three rock mountain, dublin. It's behind the old gym building - I was up at the summit at lunchtime and all was clear then. We where remarking on the prominent wildfire over at Carrickgollogan at the time.

https://twitter.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1014160954110640128

BLIZZARD7

Looks like 2 or 3 separate fires on three rock now, close together though.

spookwoman

Fire up the comeraghs yesterday

https://twitter.com/TipperaryFire/status/1014138439783124993

Graces7

I keep thinking I can smell smoke...

My family remind me there have been parts of Canada afire for months..

Stay safe, our gallant fire crews.. stay safe and thank you!

redsteveireland

Graces7 wrote: »

I keep thinking I can smell smoke...

My family remind me there have been parts of Canada afire for months..

Stay safe, our gallant fire crews.. stay safe and thank you!

Big bog fire near Ahascragh, Ballinasloe. With the wind direction the smoke could be making it to you?

https://galwaybayfm.ie/fire-services-monitor-over-a-thousand-acres-of-bog-blaze-in-east-galway/

Oneiric 3

redsteveireland wrote: »

Big bog fire near Ahascragh, Ballinasloe. With the wind direction the smoke could be making it to you?

https://galwaybayfm.ie/fire-services-monitor-over-a-thousand-acres-of-bog-blaze-in-east-galway/

Smoke from that bog fire visible from here now:




Edit: Recent sat animation shows the smoke 'spreading out' as it visibly reaches an inversion layer:

spookwoman

Can see it on satellite as well

redsteveireland

Oneiric 3 wrote: »

Smoke from that bog fire visible from here now:




Edit: Recent sat animation shows the smoke 'spreading out' as it visibly reaches an inversion layer:

Very small amount of ash falling when I was in the garden earlier too.

sryanbruen

https://twitter.com/LaoisWeather/status/1014565031613214720

Graces7

redsteveireland wrote: »

Big bog fire near Ahascragh, Ballinasloe. With the wind direction the smoke could be making it to you?

https://galwaybayfm.ie/fire-services-monitor-over-a-thousand-acres-of-bog-blaze-in-east-galway/

The island was thick with smoky looking air this morning. The only forecaster to mention it? Yep, you guessed

"some smoke or haze from fires drifting west through Connacht, risk of other areas of smoke developing, "

Our very own MT

spookwoman

linked from Offaly Fire & Rescue Service Facebook page of Slieve Bloom Fire

sdanseo

spookwoman wrote: »

linked from Offaly Fire & Rescue Service Facebook page of Slieve Bloom Fire

Unusual for Ireland to see actual trees affected. 95% of the time it's gorse or heather. We've got very little area that you could actually call forest or wooded, shame to see it on fire.

4068ac1elhodqr

sdanseo wrote: »

Unusual for Ireland to see actual trees affected. 95% of the time it's gorse or heather. We've got very little area that you could actually call forest or wooded, shame to see it on fire.

Perhaps the lowest 'woodland coverage %' for any country in Europe (excluding smaller craggy Island type places).

Might be an idea for FB to send up a few drones per day, unless they've got live Sat feeds or other flyover reporting.

Birdnuts

sdanseo wrote: »

Unusual for Ireland to see actual trees affected. 95% of the time it's gorse or heather. We've got very little area that you could actually call forest or wooded, shame to see it on fire.

TBH that type of woodland(monoculture Sitka spruce planatations) supports very little in terms of biodiverisity and is no real loss in that regard. If it was native broadleaves you might have a point.

Rougies

Birdnuts wrote: »

TBH that type of woodland(monoculture Sitka spruce planatations) supports very little in terms of biodiverisity and is no real loss in that regard. If it was native broadleaves you might have a point.

I agree that sitka spruce is a non-native invasive fast-growing super-dense weed-tree used for commercial purposes and it's a shame that much of our little forest area is made up of these plantations. It does however grow in places that native broadleaf trees wouldn't stand a chance and they provide habitat for some wildlife like sika deer (one could say it suits them to a T), and also pull more carbon from the atmosphere than heather or gorse would on similar terrain. I don't like sitka spruce, but it's not all bad.

Birdnuts

Rougies wrote: »

I agree that sitka spruce is a non-native invasive fast-growing super-dense weed-tree used for commercial purposes and it's a shame that much of our little forest area is made up of these plantations. It does however grow in places that native broadleaf trees wouldn't stand a chance and they provide habitat for some wildlife like sika deer (one could say it suits them to a T), and also pull more carbon from the atmosphere than heather or gorse would on similar terrain. I don't like sitka spruce, but it's not all bad.

These upland areas are naturally "treeless" and are important watersheds for our rivers. lakes and in turn our water supplies, game fisheries etc. Block planting alien conifer monocultures seriously damages these functions via shading, acidification and siltation. This type of industrial forestry also destroys the habitat of rare and endangerd birds like Red Grouse, Hen Harrier, Curlew etc. Upland blanket bogs are also important Carbon sinks so destroying them via Sitka spruce plantations, wind farms etc. makes no sense in that regard eitheir

spookwoman

Helicopter view of the fire
https://www.facebook.com/OffalyFireRescue/videos/2086777684910488/?t=12

Rhineshark

sdanseo wrote: »

Unusual for Ireland to see actual trees affected. 95% of the time it's gorse or heather. We've got very little area that you could actually call forest or wooded, shame to see it on fire.

Taking into account about Sitka spruce above, a particularly nasty fire last year took out a good chunk of Ireland's largest forest last year in Cloosh Valley.

As well as cigarette butts, litter from picnics, especially bottles/jars/broken glass and probably tinfoil can all start fires too.

Apart from everything else, water reserves are low.

mirrorwall14

In north Kildare and there’s a burnt turf smell on the wind. No idea from where

king size mars bar

Same kind of smell here in Kilkenny county

Macy0161

Looked like the fire from yesterday was still going in Glencree this morning anyway.

Rhineshark wrote: »

As well as cigarette butts, litter from picnics, especially bottles/jars/broken glass and probably tinfoil can all start fires too.

At least two that I'm aware of in North Wicklow the source were a disposable bbq, and a campfire. People who do either at the moment should be charged with arson.

Graces7

Macy0161 wrote: »

Looked like the fire from yesterday was still going in Glencree this morning anyway.

At least two that I'm aware of in North Wicklow the source were a disposable bbq, and a campfire. People who do either at the moment should be charged with arson.

After that really terrible year in Kerry, they said when they could not find the arsonists that they were going to start fining anyone on whose land there was any fire. Soon stopped it as farmers became more vigilant.