Locals in Glencullen are calling for the establishment of a new taskforce to oversee how wildfires are tackled after being left terrified by ongoing blazes close to people’s homes.
Glencullen Wildfires Spark Calls for Coordinated Agency Taskforce
Fires broke out in several different locations in the Glencullen area, prompting volunteers from around the Dublin mountains to assist the Dublin Fire Brigade. According to local councillor Michael Fleming, volunteers have helped battle the fires since they first broke out, returning yesterday and throughout today after the blazes reignited. Fleming stated that the fire brigade, the Office of Public Works, and the State-owned forestry company Coillte need to form a taskforce to coordinate agency responses.
“We had seventy men out here on Friday evening for hours, helping firefighters move water hoses, working to put out flames with shovels, and that joint response meant that the flames did not reach anyone’s houses,” Fleming said. He noted that around eight homes were very close to the flames, posing a significant risk. High winds subsequently blew reignited fires toward the forest. “If it had spread there and beyond, hundreds more people would have been put at risk,” Fleming added, noting that hotter weather each year demands a more proactive response to the smoke and terror experienced by residents.
Resident Impacts and Evacuation Fears During Dublin Mountain Blazes
Residents described severe anxiety as the fires threatened properties and forced evacuations in the area. Antoinette Pim, a resident in her 60s living with her 90-year-old mother, said her mother packed her passport and will into a bag and placed it in the car over the weekend in case they needed to escape.
“That was the terror of it, we have neighbours who were evacuated, and that woman was in an awful state too,” Pim said, describing how a phone call early Monday morning alerted her that the fire had started again after they thought it was over. Pim called for a management plan to ensure future blazes are prevented and tackled quickly, stating that a lack of clear ownership among land rights holders and agencies could lead to a future fatality.
Dublin Fire Brigade Response and Weather Challenges
Dublin Fire Brigade district officer Darren O’Connor explained that a change in wind direction brought the fire uphill and caused it to spread further. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, O’Connor stated that the exact cause of the ignition remains unknown. “We don’t have an exact cause of it, but they generally start near pathways and roadways, but it’s impossible at this stage to say what the source of this ignition was,” he said.
O’Connor added that firefighters have faced a particularly busy summer due to weather-driven wildfire outbreaks, with hot conditions creating difficult working environments for crews.
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