Concern at camp fire near gorse bushes on Curragh Plains

A KildareNow reader sent in this photo of a number of campers sitting around a camp fire close to gorse bushes yesterday evening in the Curragh.

There appears to be at least two large tents in the area and a few vehicles are parked nearby.

The reader said: "I would have thought a fire so close to gorse bushes would be dangerous and a risk of spreading with a bit of wind.

"I know we had good falls of rain in the past week or so - but vegetation is still very dry.

"We forget we had nearly two months of a drought."

He added: "There was a few gorse fires in the Curragh already this summer - and the last thing we need is another."

The reader said the campsite was located on the back road between Brownstown and Sunnyhill.

Gorse is considered one of the most flammable types of vegetation.

An Orange Fire Warning  issued by the Department of Agriculture expired earlier this week.

It said "a High Fire Risk remains in all areas where gorse, heather, dried grasses and other dead vegetation exist."

Experts say that gorse can regain flammability again in a short time again following light rain.

The advice urged 'extreme caution' around dried gorse.