Wildfires Rage Across Tipperary, Wicklow and Waterford as Ireland's Heatwave Enters Third Week
Emergency services across three counties are battling a series of major wildfires as Ireland's summer heatwave enters its third week, with a blaze on Slievenamon mountain in County Tipperary having destroyed more than 700 hectares of land and forestry since it began on 20 July. Concurrent fires in the Wicklow Mountains and the Comeragh Mountains in County Waterford have stretched the resources of the fire service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with the Irish Air Corps providing aerial support and local farmers playing a crucial role in containment efforts.
Background
Ireland's relationship with wildfire has changed dramatically in recent years. The country's temperate, wet climate was historically considered a natural barrier against the kind of large-scale wildfires that devastate southern Europe each summer, but a combination of climate change, land management practices, and increasingly frequent and prolonged dry spells has altered that calculus. The summer of 2026 has been the driest on record in many parts of the country, with rainfall deficits of more than 60 per cent in some areas, and the conditions have created a landscape that is extraordinarily vulnerable to fire.
Slievenamon, the distinctive mountain that rises above the Tipperary plain between Clonmel and Thurles, has been a focal point of the current crisis. The mountain's steep, rugged terrain and the dry conditions that have prevailed throughout July have allowed the fire to become deeply embedded in the peat and vegetation, making it exceptionally difficult to extinguish. The involvement of Coillte, the state forestry company, reflects the fact that the fire has spread into commercial forestry plantations adjacent to the mountain, adding an economic dimension to what is already a significant environmental emergency.
The Wicklow Mountains, which form the largest upland area in Leinster and are home to some of Ireland's most important habitats, have also been severely affected. The fires near Glencree and the Featherbeds have been burning since mid-July, and a significant reignition on 24 July, driven by high winds, created a 200-metre fire front that required a major response from the Wicklow Fire and Rescue Service and the NPWS.
Key Developments
The Slievenamon fire, which began on 20 July, had destroyed more than 700 hectares of land by its seventh day, including parts of a Coillte forestry plantation. The Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service, supported by the Irish Air Corps and Coillte, has been working around the clock to contain the blaze, with local farmers playing a crucial role by using tractors and slurry tankers to transport water to the fire lines and creating firebreaks to protect nearby homes. The fire was largely brought under control by the end of the week, but hotspots persisted, and authorities remained vigilant against reignition caused by rising temperatures.
In Wicklow, Military Road was closed and the public was urged to avoid the area as firefighters and NPWS staff worked to ensure the fire was fully extinguished following the 24 July reignition. The closure of Military Road, which is a popular route for cyclists and walkers through the Wicklow Mountains National Park, has had a significant impact on tourism in the area during what should be one of the busiest weeks of the summer.
In County Waterford, a serious gorse fire broke out in the Comeragh Mountains on 26 July, near the Metal Man statue on Great Newtown Head. Fire crews from Kilmacthomas, Portlaw, and Dungarvan were deployed to contain the blaze and successfully prevented it from spreading into nearby forestry. Residents in Waterford had also been affected by smoke drift from the Slievenamon fire, carried south by changing wind patterns, with authorities issuing health warnings for people with respiratory and heart conditions.
Across all affected areas, authorities have repeatedly asked the public to stay away from firefighting areas and to refrain from flying drones, which have interfered with aerial firefighting operations. There have also been reports of criminal activity, with some firefighters' personal vehicles targeted and broken into while they were working on the Slievenamon fire — an act that has been widely condemned.
Why It Matters
The wildfires of summer 2026 are not an isolated event — they are a symptom of a deeper and more serious problem. Ireland's climate is changing, and the country's land management practices, emergency response capacity, and public awareness of wildfire risk have not kept pace with that change. The fires on Slievenamon, in the Wicklow Mountains, and in the Comeraghs are destroying habitats that took centuries to develop and that cannot be quickly restored. The peatlands of the uplands are particularly vulnerable — they are not just habitats but carbon stores, and their destruction releases greenhouse gases that accelerate the very climate change that is making wildfires more frequent and more severe. Ireland needs a national wildfire strategy that addresses land management, emergency response, and public education, and it needs it urgently. The fires of 2026 should be the catalyst for that strategy, not just another summer crisis to be managed and forgotten.
Local Impact
The impact of the wildfires is being felt across a wide area of Munster and Leinster. In Tipperary, the communities around Slievenamon — including the towns of Clonmel, Fethard, and Mullinahone — have been living with the smoke and anxiety of the fire for more than a week. Farmers in the area have lost grazing land and fencing, and the damage to Coillte's forestry plantation represents a significant economic loss. In Wicklow, the closure of Military Road and the disruption to the national park have affected tourism businesses in Roundwood, Laragh, and Glendalough. In Waterford, the Comeragh Mountains fire has added to the stress of a summer that has already been marked by exceptional heat and drought. The HSE's South and South East regions have been monitoring the health impact of smoke exposure, particularly on vulnerable populations in the affected areas.
What's Next
The immediate priority for emergency services is to ensure that the fires on Slievenamon and in the Wicklow Mountains are fully extinguished and do not reignite. Weather forecasts for the coming week suggest that temperatures will remain elevated, maintaining the risk of further fires. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has been asked to provide an assessment of the damage to habitats and forestry, and to outline the measures that will be taken to support affected landowners and communities. A review of Ireland's wildfire response capacity is expected to be initiated by the government in the autumn, with a view to developing a national wildfire strategy before the 2027 fire season.
