UFU visit farmers impacted by the Mourne wildfires

Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president Victor Chestnutt, deputy president William Irvine and hill farming chair Nigel McLaughlin, on Wednesday met with several local farmers on the Donard mountain who were affected by the recent wildfires.
Left to right: Seamus Maginn, UFU president Victor Chestnutt, John Maginn Junior, John Maginn Senior, UFU hill farming chair Nigel McLaughlin and deputy president William Irvine.Left to right: Seamus Maginn, UFU president Victor Chestnutt, John Maginn Junior, John Maginn Senior, UFU hill farming chair Nigel McLaughlin and deputy president William Irvine.
Left to right: Seamus Maginn, UFU president Victor Chestnutt, John Maginn Junior, John Maginn Senior, UFU hill farming chair Nigel McLaughlin and deputy president William Irvine.

UFU president Victor Chestnutt said: “It was devastating to see the destruction caused by the recent wildfires in one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic areas. It’s a huge blow to the local environment, habitats and community, but also to our farmers who farm in the Mournes.

“The Mourne farmers that we met, had been preparing ewes with lambs to go back to this hill for a summer graze. Now it can’t be done until there is a recovery phase, and it impacts their farm business.”

Wildfires are illegal unless carefully planned and strictly controlled. The one that was raging in the Mournes, was on the verge of entering Donard Forest.

“If the fire had of reached Donard Forest, it would have put lives, homes and businesses at serious risk. It would have gone on to do much more damage, destroying the homes of wild animals and claiming the lives of wildlife creatures such as birds and red squirrels,” said Mr Chestnutt.

“One thing that was very obvious from the visit was the level of growth of the heather, grass and bracken, plants that are very easy to burn. This would have been the equivalent of adding fuel to the fire as the plants would have been extremely dry with the recent sunny weather and when the fire took off, it quickly became very difficult to control. This reinforces the importance of managing hills with livestock and having appropriate fire breaks.”

The UFU will be progressing on this matter with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the National Trust which owns a large part of the land that was burned by the wildfire and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIMEA). NIMEA has raised concerns with the Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots and Declan McAleer MLA, chair of the NI Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee.