COILLTE YET TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF CONNEMARA FIRE

Date Published: 03-May-2011

Coillte forest workers have yet to determine the cause of a forest fire in Connemara that claimed up to 200 hectares of land at the weekend.

Fire fighters bravely battled the fire near Recess in the Inagh valley all day Saturday, and managed to get it under control later that evening.

Coillte staff, and a number of volunteers continued to monitor the smouldering flames along the Inagh valley until yesterday.

On Saturday, the flames spread up the side of one of the twelve Pin Mountains, and it was feared that the winds would carry it miles further.

No properties were under threat, however between 150 and 200 hectares of Coillte land has been burned.

Forest manager with Coillte for the Connemara region, Barry Rintoul says it’s difficult to determine what started the fire.