Landowners and the public are being asked to take extra caution due to likely outbreaks of fire over the coming days.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is warning that there is a high fire risk in all areas where hazardous fuels such as dead grasses and shrub fuels such as heather and gorse exist
Due to dominant high pressure weather patterns, an Orange Forest Fire warning has been issued from Monday until midday Friday.
Most fire risks appear to be associated with illegal burning of upland vegetation, the department said. People are also being asked to exercise additional caution in areas where active turf cutting is taking place.
The alert comes as fire services were called to battle a gorse fire in Goath Dobhair on Monday afternoon. The incident was later brought under control.
Members of the public intending to visit forests and other recreational sites are reminded of the requirement to remain within 2km of their homes and to adhere to regulations introduced to limit the spread of Covid-19. Vehicles should not be parked at site entrances or impede emergency service access to forest roads
All forest owners and managers are again advised to prepare for likely outbreaks of fire. Recent weeks have seen significant fire activity, including large scale fire incidents.
A statement said: “The need for increased vigilance at this time cannot be overstated. Forest owners, farmers, rural dwellers and other countryside users are asked to be extremely vigilant regarding fire activity, to report any suspicious or illegal activity to the Gardai and to report all fires immediately to the Fire and Emergency Services via 112/999.”
