Coillte's National Fire Training Day for 2019 has been launched to help inform and up-skill Coillte foresters and the wider industry on fire safety and prevention.

Introducing this year's event, Andrew Doyle, Minister of State at the Department of Food, Forestry and Horticulture, said: "I want to continue to urge farmers, forest owners, forest managers that there is a risk of fires during spring months on certain types of land, particularly in upland areas and that high fire risk conditions can be expected over the coming spring and summer months, when weather conditions dictate."

Recalling the major wildfires in recent years that destroyed or damaged property, including farmland and forests, he added: "Such fires directly endanger people’s homes and property and destroy valuable habitats and tourism resources. Furthermore, they place enormous strain on the emergency services and put the lives of rural dwellers and emergency service personnel at considerable risk."

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Michael Power, National Estates Risk Manager for Coillte, commented: "Last year, we saw over 90 separate fire events on Coillte property alone, which severely effected more than 400 hectares of forest of forestry and 500 hectares of bog. The largest and most dangerous of these incidents was in the Slieve Blooms, counties Laois and Offaly."

Coillte and the Forest Service are also hoping to educate the public on how to be more fire aware this summer, and to understand the importance of reporting any forest fire sightings to their local fire brigade.

Coillte recommends seven steps to prevent fires this summer:

1. Do not light fires in or near woodland.

2. Have a fire plan. Ensure you have a current fire plan for your forest.

3. Work with neighbours. Co-operation is vital to achieve successful pre- prevention.

4. Be vigilant. Forest owners should be particularly vigilant following dry weather.

5. Check fire breaks and access routes.

6. Insure your crop.

7. Report losses. If a plantation is destroyed or damaged by fire, the incident should be reported to the nearest Garda Station and to the Forest Service.

(CM)