Editorial: Threat of wildfires may require new thinking - Kilkenny Live

A gargantuan effort saw fires on Tory Hill brought under control overnight, while on Slievenamon, hotspots were still smouldering ten days after the blaze was initially discovered.

If fires have been set deliberately, or by people disposing of barbecues or cigarettes carelessly, an investigation is warranted.

As well as the direct danger to life and property, there is harm caused by smoke. There are also devastating effects on wildlife and native species.

Unfortunately, these types of fires seem to be occurring more often. The weeks of hot and dry weather, with no rain, have created almost tinder box conditions across swathes of the country.

Perhaps there is an argument too about how we are using the land, and how we manage our forests. The large plantations of quick-growing sitka, with their resin-rich needles and dense monoculture planting, can increase flammability and intensity during hot, dry weather.

Maybe we should be looking at more broadleaf, more variety. Ecologists posit that our native forests are far less flammable.

We are seeing it increasingly across Europe, where record wildfires have devastated huge regions, forcing mass evacuations, with thousands having to abandon their homes.

The UN’s climate chief Simon Stiell said on Tuesday that ‘the climate alarm is blaring, from every direction’.

BROOKHAVEN

It’s great to see the turnaround that has taken place at Brookhaven Nursing Home, with a glowing report from its most recent Health Information and Quality Authority review (see page 9).

After back-to-back inspections last year revealed serious non-compliance last year, the nursing home just outside Ballyragget has achieved a commendable review without a single instance of non-compliance in a newly released report.

The near-perfect rating in this newly-published inspection report is a credit to all involved.