Hundreds of acres affected as firefighters battle forest fire in Cork
A number of units of Cork County Fire brigade battled a large forest fire this afternoon in the Kealkil area of west Cork.
Bantry Fire Brigade shared a dramatic video of the blaze as they warned motorists that smoke was reducing visibility in the area.
Bantry Fire Station Commander Ian Vickery said they did not know the cause of the fire but it had spread over hundreds of acres.
“The fire was a major blaze, and affected an area of forestry with a plantation of young trees in a remote rural area.
“It spread to both sides of the road. In the video we shot you are only seeing a small portion of the fire, it was also behind the person recording the clip.”
The extent of the fire meant the first responders on the scene had to call on reinforcements to help fight the blaze, with additional resources coming from Dunmanway.
It took the combined efforts of the firefighters and five vehicles several hours to bring it under control.
