Wicklow Mountains National Park Issues Wildfire Warning After Days of Blazes at Glencree

Wicklow Mountains National Park has issued a stark public warning over the continued risk of wildfires, releasing images of the devastation caused by a blaze that broke out at Glencree last week and, in some spots, is still smouldering.

According to the park the situation remains perilous.  It has encouraged people to take stock and carefully consider their actions in areas of forestry and across the uplands in Wicklow. 

On its Instagram page it left this message: 

''This is the devastating consequence of being careless in the outdoors during an Orange Fire warning. These were the scenes of a wildfire in the National Park at Glencree last week.

Fires that start in the uplands in dry peat are very difficult to extinguish. NPWS staff and Emergency services are still fighting to control fires at Glencree which continue to smoulder.

Damage to habitats and massive pressure on the Emergency Services and National Parks and Wildlife resources could be prevented. Do not use BBQ’s or light campfires. Dispose of cigarettes and handle naked flames with extreme care.''

What happened

Fires first took hold in the uplands around Glencree in mid-July, during a period when an Orange Fire Warning was in effect for the region. According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), fires that ignite in dry upland peat are notoriously difficult to extinguish, and the blaze has required a sustained, multi-agency response.

Fire crews from Bray, Greystones and Blessington stations were joined by Dublin Fire Brigade, NPWS staff and Coillte personnel in tackling the flames, with two helicopters deployed to drop water on the fire front. At points, thick black smoke was visible as far away as Dublin city.

In total, the fires are estimated to have burned through roughly 200–300 hectares of the Glencree/Featherbed mountain area. Crews have continued to return to the scene in the days since to dampen hotspots still smouldering in the bog, though officials say conditions have generally been favourable for keeping the fire under control.

The Glencree fire was one of several to break out in the Dublin and Wicklow uplands in recent days, including a separate gorse fire on Glassamucky Mountain near Ticknock, which closed Military Road to traffic before being brought under control. No injuries have been reported from either fire, and the cause of the blazes has not been officially established.

The park's warning

In a statement, Wicklow Mountains National Park described the scenes at Glencree as "the devastating consequence of being careless in the outdoors during an Orange Fire warning."

Officials say the damage to habitats — and the resulting strain placed on emergency services and NPWS resources — could have been avoided.

The park is now urging visitors to exercise extreme caution in the uplands, particularly during periods of high fire risk, and has issued the following guidance:

• Do not use barbecues or light campfires anywhere in the park.

• Dispose of cigarettes safely and never discard them in dry vegetation.

• Handle all naked flames with extreme care, especially in upland and peatland areas.

Why upland fires are so hard to fight

Much of the Wicklow Mountains National Park — the largest of Ireland's six national parks, covering roughly 22,000 hectares — is blanketed by upland peat and heath.

Once alight, peat can smoulder underground for extended periods, re-igniting even after crews believe a fire has been brought under control. This is part of why containment efforts at Glencree have stretched over several days, with fire services continuing to monitor and dampen hotspots well after the initial blaze was tackled.

The bigger picture

The Glencree fire is the latest in a string of wildfires to hit the Dublin and Wicklow mountains this summer, following blazes in Powerscourt's Deerpark townland and elsewhere in the region. With dry conditions persisting and fire warnings in place, officials are stressing that public vigilance — particularly around barbecues, campfires and cigarettes — remains one of the most effective ways to prevent further damage to the uplands and to ease pressure on already-stretched emergency resources.