A GORSE fire which threatened three houses on Heir Island was put out by firefighters who were transported on board the Baltimore RNLI lifeboat on Monday evening.
The crew were called out on Monday August 11th and launched their all-weather vessel at 5.46pm after being tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to carry nine firefighters from Skibbereen and Schull fire brigade units to the island to tackle the blaze.
It took just 13 minutes and the lifeboat arrived at the pier on Heir Island at 5.59pm where the firefighters disembarked. The lifeboat then returned to the station in Baltimore, arriving at 6.25pm.
Separately, the Heir Island ferry operator transported additional crew and equipment to the island from Cunnamore pier to fight the fire which extended over three acres and posed a serious risk to three dwellings.
Cork County Council said its fire crews ‘prioritised the protection of the houses as well as tackling the main fire using beaters and other equipment’. The fire service extended its gratitude to a number of locals it said helped to put out the blaze which was brought under control shortly after 10pm.
Speaking following the call out, Kate Callanan, Baltimore RNLI said: ‘This is a good example of how Baltimore RNLI often work alongside other emergency services.
‘We are often tasked to carry emergency personnel such as fire or ambulance crew out to incidents on the islands off the coast of Baltimore. If you ever find yourself in difficulty on an island and in need of emergency assistance, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’
The cause of the fire is unknown. Cork County Fire Service reminded the public that under current legislation it is illegal to burn gorse, vegetation and scrub between March 1st and August 31st.
