Latest news with #SlieveBeagh
BBC News
15-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
NI wildfires: Slieve Beagh peatland 'could take thousands of years to recover'
It could take thousands of years for a cross-border peatland destroyed by fire to return to ecological health, a conservation group has fire on Slieve Beagh raged for three days in bog is an important site for biodiversity and is home to the endangered hen Spence, from the River Blackwater Catchment Trust (RBCT), said it was "a battle" to get the ecosystem back to where it should be. Slieve Beagh has a number of designations aimed at protecting it, including Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Ramsar status and Area of Special Scientific Interest. While the scorched surface is now flushed green with new growth, Mr Spence said it was not a sign of recovery."Unfortunately the species that have come up first here is the Molinia grasses and next year they will be a high fire hazard."It takes so long for moor to recover, to get this back to how it should have been it would probably take thousands of years."The group has secured EU funding to help restore the bog, removing alien species and blocking drains to rewet the aim is to get it functioning again, keeping greenhouse gases and other pollutants trapped within it. "The first thing you need in any ecosystem is the plants and the plants take a long time to recover," said Mr Spence."For bog species, we need the bilberry, we need the sphagnum mosses, also we need the bog myrtle - we need all these other plants to grow to feed all the insects, because that's the next step of our ecosystems."But attracting the number of insects required to populate the third largest blanket bog in Northern Ireland could take as long as six the birds follow."They have to have successful broods of chicks which are weather-dependent of course, and predator-dependent," added Roy."So it's a battle for everything to get back that ecosystem." The RBCT is also creating a fire plan, working with other agencies."We're looking at simple things like people to be lookouts for fires, WhatsApp groups, this kind of thing," said Alan McCabe, the group's secretary."But we're also looking at technologies like drone technologies that could help us find fires - and then ultimately even fight fires for us as well."The fire in May has been described as a "hot" burn. It moved slowly and burned deeply into the blanket has caused concern about what remains beneath the surface to grow again and start the regeneration of the peatland. 'Everything's stacked up against us' The RBCT has long-term plans to reintroduce grazing on the moor to help control the amount of vegetation that could deterring people from deliberately starting wildfires is a priority. "We have plans in place where we can actually make it difficult for people to get in and light fires and get away without being detected," said Mr Spence."When fires are lit, we're looking into using modern technology, using drone technology, CCTV, AI technology, so drones can chat to each other."And rather than have people up here because it's very hard to get to, we'll have drones over here, monitoring what's happening."The effect of climate change is on Mr McCabe's mind as well."We're getting hotter springs, drier springs, and maybe for a longer period as well," he said."So everything's stacked up against us, but there are solutions here."There are actions we can take here on the ground."But we need to be working with the land owners, the Forest Service, the farmers."
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Clogher: Slieve Beagh wildfire 'extremely worrying', says councillor
A wildfire that has damaged a third of Slieve Beagh is "extremely worrying", a local councillor has Saturday, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said temperatures dropped overnight, "which has helped the situation", with two appliances remaining at Ballagh Road in Clogher.A warning is in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland this weekend and the fire service has urged the public to stay Gael Gildernew said the Slieve Beagh area has recently secured €6m (£5m) in funding, and locals "are very concerned" by recent developments. 'Devastation' Last month, Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin announced that the Irish government has made allocations from the Shared Island Fund, over the next five years, to develop Sliabh Beagh as an eco-tourism destination."People are worried about that and the possibility of where the funding is going to go," Gildernew told BBC News NI. The fire ignited on Thursday morning and fire crews have remained on the scene ever Friday evening, 50 firefighters with 10 appliances tackled the blaze on the County Tyrone/County Monaghan border."They currently have the fire out and they are just keeping an eye here, so that it doesn't reignite," Gildernew added."It's a beautiful area. People love it; and you have homes, you have farms, rural life going on." As a special protection area and special area of conservation, Slieve Beagh is home to the endangered hen harrier and intact blanket bog said wildlife and the habitat will be affected."There are birds nesting in the ground - it's going to take years for the area to come back to where it should be - or where it was at."I have seen the devastation from the fire myself and it's about a third of the Slieve Beagh area." 'Big tourism area' "This would be a big tourism area. There are lots of local businesses, but tourism would be a big thing," she added."The funding is to increase and improve tourism in the area, so that will have an impact on that - we will have to look at that."Birdlife and vegetation will take time to recover, she added."This is a cross-border fire, and I know on the Monaghan side there have been frantic attempts to move machinery out of the way." What is a special area? In Northern Ireland, a special area of conservation (SAC), external has increased protection under the Conservation Regulations protection is granted if the area contains special habitats or species that are at also aims to safeguard biodiversity at both national and international levels.A special protection area (SPA), external is also designated under the Conservation Regulations are important areas for breeding, over-wintering and migrating birds.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Third of Slieve Beagh damaged in wildfire
About a third of Slieve Beagh has been damaged due to a cross-border wildfire, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has said. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) received a report of a fire in Clogher, County Tyrone on Wednesday, which then spread into County Monaghan on Thursday. As a special protection area (SPA) and special area of conservation (SAC), Slieve Beagh is home to the endangered hen harrier and intact blanket bog habitat. Fifty firefighters with ten appliances are still tackling the blaze, but the NIFRS said it has been contained. The multi-agency response which is led by NIFRS is supported by NIEA and the Forest Service. All-terrain vehicles with portable pumps have also been deployed to bring the situation under control. This weekend an amber warning for wildfires has been issued for Northern Ireland. A yellow warning from the National Hazards Partnership, external is also in place on Friday but this will be upgraded for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Dry vegetation and brisker winds conditions create an ideal for wildfires to happen. In Northern Ireland, a special area of conservation (SAC) has increased protection under the Conservation Regulations 1995. The protection is granted if the area contains special habitats or species that are at risk. It also aims to safeguard biodiversity at both national and international levels. A special protection area (SPA) is also designated under the Conservation Regulations 1995. They are important areas for breeding, over-wintering and migrating birds. Weekend warning for wildfires issued for NI Fire crews tackle almost 300 wildfires in a week
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Third of Slieve Beagh damaged in wildfire
About a third of Slieve Beagh has been damaged due to a cross-border wildfire, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has said. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) received a report of a fire in Clogher, County Tyrone on Wednesday, which then spread into County Monaghan on Thursday. As a special protection area (SPA) and special area of conservation (SAC), Slieve Beagh is home to the endangered hen harrier and intact blanket bog habitat. Fifty firefighters with ten appliances are still tackling the blaze, but the NIFRS said it has been contained. The multi-agency response which is led by NIFRS is supported by NIEA and the Forest Service. All-terrain vehicles with portable pumps have also been deployed to bring the situation under control. This weekend an amber warning for wildfires has been issued for Northern Ireland. A yellow warning from the National Hazards Partnership, external is also in place on Friday but this will be upgraded for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Dry vegetation and brisker winds conditions create an ideal for wildfires to happen. In Northern Ireland, a special area of conservation (SAC) has increased protection under the Conservation Regulations 1995. The protection is granted if the area contains special habitats or species that are at risk. It also aims to safeguard biodiversity at both national and international levels. A special protection area (SPA) is also designated under the Conservation Regulations 1995. They are important areas for breeding, over-wintering and migrating birds. Weekend warning for wildfires issued for NI Fire crews tackle almost 300 wildfires in a week
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Slieve Beagh: Third of conservation site damaged in wildfire
About a third of Slieve Beagh has been damaged due to a cross-border wildfire, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) received a report of a fire in Clogher, County Tyrone on Wednesday, which then spread into County Monaghan on a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Slieve Beagh is home to the endangered hen harrier and intact blanket bog firefighters with ten appliances are still tackling the blaze, but the NIFRS said it has been contained. The multi-agency response which is led by NIFRS is supported by NIEA and the Forest vehicles with portable pumps have also been deployed to bring the situation under weekend an amber warning for wildfires has been issued for Northern Ireland.A yellow warning from the National Hazards Partnership, external is also in place on Friday but this will be upgraded for Saturday, Sunday and vegetation and brisker winds conditions create an ideal for wildfires to happen. What is a SPA and a SAC? In Northern Ireland, a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) has increased protection under the Conservation Regulations 1995. The protection is granted if the area contains special habitats or species that are at also aims to safeguard biodiversity at both national and international levels.A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a site which is designated to protect rare, threatened or vulnerable bird species and regularly occurring migratory are often located in coastal or marine areas.
