Barbecue stones are to be removed from sites across Laois

At a time when apocalyptic wildfires are sweeping across our neighbours in France and Spain, not even Ireland is immune from the adverse effects of soaring temperatures; in Laois, and in mountain areas nationwide, councils have been forced to remove barbecue stones from hiking routes and various nature trails.

The Laois sections of the Slieve Bloom Mountains were no exception, with barbecue stones set to be taken from picnic areas in order to discourage any lighting of fires that could spark into a wildfire in the dry, tinderboxish conditions that this unprecedentedly warm summer has allowed.

This summer has seen wildfires burn through tracts of Tipperary, Waterford, Wicklow and Cork, with the Slievenamon Mountains particularly affected. With this in mind, the National Parks and Wildlife(NPW) service has issued a nationwide notice for councils to remove any infrastructure that could encourage the starting of innocent fires that might accidentally spiral into something far worse.

Speaking at a recent meeting of Laois County Council, Councillor James Kelly highlighted the threat they posed to locals in the Laois area of the Slievenamon Mountains and to wildlife in the area and advised that additional signage be put up in areas warning people about the potential for fires in the summer months.

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