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By Sean Moriarty

Kerry Macra Na Feirme has said that a full investigation into last weekend’s forest fires must be concluded before blaming any sector for starting them.

The cause of last week’s blazes has yet to be established and is being investigated by Killarney Gardai, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Killarney Fire and Rescue.

Macra Na Feirme has defended local farmers saying there is no evidence to blame them for the fires that were started outside of the defined gorse burning seasons.

“The agricultural sector is often used as a scapegoat. However, in this circumstance, there is no evidence yet to speculate who or where the fire started,” a branch spokesperson told the Killarney Advertiser.
“Kerry Macra Na Feirme firmly believes that a thorough investigation should be carried out before any blame is cast on the agricultural sector. It is our hope that the culprits are caught and reprimanded for their actions.”