Littlewood forest near Slane is the closest one to Drogheda
Meath County Council, in collaboration with Coillte, has released a new promotional video to improve understanding of how to enjoy forestry areas within County Meath through both land-based wildfire prevention measures and a greater awareness of litter pollution.
The video includes footage of forest fires in Meath in 2018 and in Louth in 2020.
The nearest county Meath Coillte forest to Drogheda, is Littlewood on the N2 north of Slane. It has a 2km walking trail.
The council said, ‘land-based wildfires can take the form of forest, gorse and bog fires or in severe cases a combination of all three.’
‘This promotional video points towards both wildfire prevention measures along with improved litter management that can be taken through personal awareness and responsibility whilst enjoying these natural amenities.’
The video features contributions from a fire fighter with Meath County Council, an Environment Officer with the Council as well as a Coillte representative.
Meath County Council Chief Fire Officer Sheila Broderick said “Unfortunately, in recent years, the occurrence and consequent impact of these land-based wildfires on the environment and the people who live in the surrounding areas has increased dramatically, they can happen at any time of the year, particularly during a dry spell, whilst we enjoy these areas of natural beauty, we have to be mindful of how to enjoy them safely and how to protect them, simple measures such as not lighting fires in particular barbecues in or near woodland areas and the proper extinguishment of cigarettes and other smoking materials.”
She said, “the scale and size of these recent 2018 land-based wildfires has been the biggest challenge faced by Meath County Fire and Rescue Service.’
“These types of incidents test and stretch the resilience of the fire service by the substantial amount of time, personnel and resources required to manage these land-based wildfires safely and effectively.”
She said, “Meath County Fire and Rescue Service are working closely together with Coillte towards a collaborative wildfire prevention approach. This work requires sharing of knowledge on wildfire prevention management techniques which will be adapted to local area needs within the County of Meath to allow the development of joint response plans”.
Meath County Council Environment Officer Declan Grimes added ‘Unfortunately forests are frequently used by illegal dumpers to dispose of waste; this waste acts as a fuel when a fire occurs. We all have a responsibility to organise for the safe disposal of the waste we produce and to only use an authorised waste collection permit holder. Please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to Meath County Council. Email environment@meathcoco.ie or call 046 9097200.
Meath County Council and Coillte are encouraging people to view the videos on all its social media platforms and share it with as many people as possible to get these important messages into the community.
