Kildare bog fire ignites local concerns

KILBERRY residents living are demanding answers and improved emergency protocols after a major fire broke out on Blackwood Bog and Rathconnell Bog over the bank holiday weekend, sending thick plumes of smoke across the area.

The fire, which began smouldering over the weekend, drew a substantial response: four fire brigades, two water tankers, and two jeeps descended on the area in an effort to put them out.

Kildare County Council confirmed that Athy Fire Brigade attended two separate bog fires near Kilberry over the May Bank Holiday Weekend.

On Saturday, May 3, the fire brigade came to put out a fire at Blackwood Bog, which took just under an hour to control.

On Monday, May 5, the brigade was back again for a fire at the nearby Rathconnell Bog at noon, taking almost eight hours to put out.

Kildare County Council said: “A change in wind direction caused this fire to spread toward nearby forestry and additional units attended from Stradbally and Monasterevin.” 

However, confusion over who was responsible for monitoring the bog and alerting emergency services has become a focal point of local frustration.

“We came home Monday to see the fire brigade just down the road,” said local resident, Teri Bracken, who lives just 600 metres from where the fire was.

“In just two hours, there were multiple brigades trying to get access from all directions. It was terrifying.” Despite previous fires in the area — most recently in July of 2022 — residents say there is still no clear point of contact or emergency protocol in place.

“There’s no number posted around the perimeter for who to call if there’s a fire,” Teri added. “It’s like no lessons were learned.” According to the resident, Bórd na Móna, which manages large portions of Ireland’s boglands, was only formally notified of the fire at 4pm on Sunday— a whole day after the fire was first reported.

Bord Na Mona however reject this and said they were made aware of the fire on Saturday afternoon.

“The company immediately contacted the Fire Service and liaised closely with authorities on site while the fire was brought under control.” They also denied a report that the fire had spread to surrounding forestry and was contained to an area within the Kilberry bog although the Kildare Nationalist has seen a photo of a scorched treeline.

Locals insist more proactive monitoring was needed.

“A bog fire is never truly out,” said Teri. “They smoulder underground and can reignite days later. With dry weather and wind, this was inevitable.” 

With the recurring plumes of smoke, residents worry that the fires will reignite and continue to spread, especially if the dry weather continues.

The fire came within 600 metres of several homes, sending smoke into nearby homes.

“My daughter woke up coughing, and my eyes were stinging for hours,” Teri explained. “The smoke was in our house all night.” The visibility of the smoke further exemplified scale of the fire as it was seen as far away as Kildare Town, Stradbally, and Athy.

Another resident, located 4km away from the fire, said they could smell smoke from their house.

The incident has also reignited controversy surrounding the proposed Kilberry Wind Farm. Local campaigners have long opposed the project, arguing that turbine construction would dry out the bog further and increase fire risk.

“The bog is already dry,” Teri said. “Once they lay concrete for the turbines, it’ll be even drier. Fires will spread faster, no matter what access roads they say they’ll build.” 

Residents remain on edge, worried that flare-ups could occur for weeks to come. “It’s like magma,” the woman said. “It rumbles underground, waiting to hit a dry patch and burst up again.” 

Bórd na Móna added that it “has been in close contact with authorities following the incident and is continuing to monitor the situation closely.” “This could have been a lot worse,” the resident warned. “There needs to be a serious rethink about how we protect these lands and the people living near them.”