A specialist UK company spent the week training local fire staff to help prevent a repeat of the 2021 devastating fire in Killarney National Park.

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Killarney National Park staff began specialist wildfire training this week. Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

Training will ensure that Kerry County Council Fire Services will be able to respond and prevent a repeat of the 2021 fire. Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

Staff within Killarney National Park began training with Rob Gazzard who is a chartered forester and surveyor with international experience in forestry, contingency planning, incident management and wildfires.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) purchased vehicles fitted with water pumps, and with the latest technology including thermal surveillance, drone operator and helicopter on standby, it will ensure the response from emergency crews is immediate.

In April 2021, fires tore through Killarney National Park causing extensive damage.

Up to one third of the Park - approx. 2,500 hectares – was scorched with flora and fauna wiped out.

Some fires came as close as 10 metres to a church and school in the Black Valley area.

Fire crews from five different districts concentrated on the area which also saw properties under threat.

Fires also became a real threat for The Oak Woods but fire fighters managed to avert danger.

Firefighters and the Emergency Services as well as volunteers went to heroic efforts to bring the blaze under control.

The Park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1982 and forms part of a Special Area of Conservation. There were 1.7m visitors to Killarney National Park in 2022, with 306,000 visiting Killarney House and Gardens, 106,000 of whom were cyclists.

It is of high ecological value because of the quality, diversity, and extensiveness of many of its habitats and the wide variety of species that they accommodate. It also has the most extensive covering of native forest remaining in Ireland.

“We are liaising with four international groups on best practices, early smoke and fire detection appliances capable of spotting a fire outbreak, will ensure our staff and Kerry County Council Fire Services will be able to respond and prevent a repeat of the 2021 devastation in the Park, when over 2,500 hectares were destroyed," said Regional Manager of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Southern Division, Eamonn Meskell.

"NPWS management and staff meet regularly with the fire services and a detailed safety plan of the Park is ready.

“A helicopter company is on retainer, in the event of another fire it will carry specialised Bambi buckets, capable of delivering water for aerial firefighting.”