Forest fire warning issued as dry weather set to continue into bank holiday

Dry and warm weather this week has prompted a status-orange forest fire warning to be issued for the upcoming bank holiday weekend.

Forestry agency Coillte has urged people not to light fires or barbeques in high-risk areas.

The warning will last until Tuesday.

Coillte said dead grasses, gorse and heather become much more flammable during dry spells and fire spreads quickly once ignited.

It said forest fires can be devastating and almost always arise from preventable human activities – whether this be the lighting of barbecues or campfires in wooded areas or the burning of land that spirals out of control.

Pat Neville, communications manager for Coillte, said: "Just as more people begin to venture into our woodlands over the spring and summer months, dryer conditions bring a heightened risk of forest fires.

"In our experience, 99 per cent of forest fires stem from human actions, not natural causes."

He added: "Please exercise care and refrain from lighting fires in the outdoors. If you see a forest fire, do not approach it and report it to the local emergency services immediately."

Met Éireann said high pressure will continue to dominate Ireland's weather over the coming days and into next week, bringing dry conditions though it will be rather cloudy at times.