An exercise to assess Ireland’s ability to deal with large forest fires, recently led by European experts in the Wicklow Mountains, was the first of its kind in this country and comes as the 2025 fire season is expected to last longer and more extensive than previous years.
The operation involved more than 100 participants from various agencies in Ireland and other EU member states. They simulated a wildfire scenario near Turlough Hill so that first responders could test their preparedness for a real-life event.
Drone technology from Maynooth University was piloted and the possibility of deploying aircraft from other EU states was also examined. The EU MODEX exercise is a wild land and forest fire advisory mission organised by the National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM).
An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, Coillte, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Coastguard, Mountain Rescue and the Civil Defence took part in the exercise as well as fire services from Dublin and Wicklow.
Aidan Dempsey, Chief Fire Officer at Wicklow County Council, said that forest fires are putting its resources under pressure. “In Ireland, 100% of fires are started by people – 50% accidentally and 50% on purpose – some maliciously, some due to the old belief that burning off vegetation is better for growth for animals.
“In the future, we worry about being up here fighting fires in rural areas and leaving towns with less fire protection than they should have.”
NDFEM Senior Assistant National Fire Advisor Paul Rock said the exercise was an opportunity to learn from those with more experience in tackling major blazes. “These fires are more prevalent on the continent. They’re more ferocious. They have killed a lot of people.
“In 2017, the fires killed 66 people in Portugal. So, we need to learn from their experiences. This advisory exercise concentrated on Ireland’s preparedness for the more frequent and more devastating wild land forest fires, with forestry management experts, aerial firefighting experts and host nation experts reviewing Ireland’s planning and preparedness for these events.
“Preparation and planning are key so that we are always primed to address such an event,”, according to NPWS Director General Niall Ó Donnchú, adding that “a well-trained response to such events will save lives and nature and minimise damage”.
Some footage from RTE on the training exercise with helicopters practicing with a ‘Bambi bucket’ while simulating a wildfire scenario near Turlough Hill in the Wicklow Mountains….
Several agencies including the Irish Coast Guard, took part in the emergency exercise operation.
