25 April 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Due to the Covid-19 Emergency Cork County Council’s Chief Fire Officer recently instructed that all controlled burning had to cease: to prioritise available emergency service resources and maintain local air quality
Now, some 3 weeks later Cork County Council wishes remind all land and property holders that it is still illegal to use burning to control vegetation, because the ‘no burn’ dates continue to run from the 1st of March to the 1st of September.
Burning of agricultural trimmings is also not permitted at this time. For the avoidance of doubt controlled burning should not take place under any circumstances until otherwise announced.
A new report from the Council’s Environment Directorate, which was presented the Councillors this week, stated;
Fire Crews from across the county were very busy dealing with gorse and outdoor fires during March and early April; this was despite the fact that since the 1st March it is illegal for landowners to burn off scrub, vegetation etc. from the land. Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts restricts the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation growing on uncultivated land or in hedges or ditches during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife, from 1 March to 31 August. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued an Orange Forest Fire warning from midday on 31st March to midday on 3rd April.
