‘Starting to look a lot better’: Rain aids Mosquito fire battle, but brings flood, mudflow risk
Sara Rigg
10:07PM Tuesday 18 April 2014
Suffering in the wake of the worst spring downpour in modern history, the fire fighters who have been battling the Kildale Fire which scorched large areas of the Kildale Forest, near Newbridge, Leitrim, recently, are optimistic as the rain continues to help the situation.
A fire and risk of flooding
While the rain is very welcome on some of the most devastated roads in the country and in the county, it has also brought a risk of flooding and mudslides as the rain and the swollen streams carry heavy amounts of debris into the Shannon flood plain.
Heavy rain in recent days has been causing flooding in the Shannon
While most areas are still under a flood alert, some areas are under a flood warning. Heavy rain this year has been causing flooding in the Shannon, River Shannon and Lough Ree flood plain.
The Kildale Forest is one of the areas experiencing heavy rain and the Kildale wildfire has only been burning since Friday night, but the situation has been under threat since almost a week ago.
On Friday, the water levels in the River Shannon were so high that it was declared a flood alert.
Since then, many locals have been calling for the authorities to declare a flood alert and warned locals are still at risk.
Speaking at the National GAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) this evening, the Emergency Management and Emergency Preparedness Minister, Eoghan Murphy said that at least 10,000 people have already been evacuated from communities in Leitrim and West Leitrim.
“There are a number of communities which have received evacuees from Leitrim, from Waterford, Waterford North, Carrigtwohill and Ballycotton,” he said.
“There are a number of communities which have received evacuees