Garda probe ongoing into Mayo boardwalk blaze
The boardwalk was completely destroyed in the devastating fire.
The restoration of a boardwalk destroyed by a fire will cost more than €50,000.
In April, the Claggan Mountain Coastal trail was reduced to cinders following a fire.
Located north of Mulranny, along the N59, it is the only all-abilities walking trail located within the Wild Nephin National Park.
Just days later fire raged through more than 400 acres of the Wild Nephin National Park and Letterkeen Forest was left devastated.
Both fires were suspected of being started deliberately. It is understood that a Garda investigation has not yielded any suspects thus far.
Work now begins in earnest on both sites.
Denis Strong, Senior Divisional Manager with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), told the it is likely to cost an estimated €52,000 to rebuild the boardwalk. He said efforts will be made to restore and reopen the trail as soon as possible but the project is expected to take some time.
“There are a lot of people both from the locality and visitors to the area who are really feeling its loss,” said Mr Strong.
The habitat of Letterkeen forest is likely to be changed irrevocably following the fire that left it decimated and it will take “years and years” for habitats, flora, and fauna to recover. Dead trees that were left standing will have to be removed from the site.
The NPWS has met with Mayo Fire Service to carry out future risk assessments and the possible implementation of buffer zones around key areas in the National Park.
“If we ever have a fire in the forest area again, [the buffers] can contain it,” said Denis.
There is also a plan to make fire crews in the county more familiar with some of the isolated terrain located within the park.
“We are doing ground visits with them, looking at things like access points, water sources, and creating new buffer zones,” said Denis.
