More than a year before firefighters were battling major blazes in the Comeragh Mountains in July of this year, councillors had already warned of the threat of fire and called for controlled burning to be considered as a way of preventing major outbreaks.

The warning was raised by Cllr and current serving Mayor Liam Brazil at a Comeragh District Council meeting in May 2025, when he said controlled burning was needed on the mountains to prevent major fires.

The council’s Cathaoirleach backed the call, while a request was made for a letter to be sent to the National Parks and Wildlife Service outlining councillors’ concerns about the fire threat.

He said the blaze, which required fire crews from across Waterford to spend days tackling difficult and inaccessible terrain, had demonstrated just how serious the risk is. Waterford City and County Council confirmed at the time that crews were working to contain the fire and prevent it spreading, with the operation continuing over several days.

Cllr Brazil said he was concerned that the same situation could happen again and argued that more needed to be done to manage vegetation on the mountains.

“The Comeraghs are a fire waiting to happen,” he told the latest Comeragh meeting of the Waterford Council.

He said the growth of heather and other vegetation was creating a significant fire risk, particularly during dry periods, and called for a system of controlled burning to be examined.

Cllr Brazil said farmers had traditionally used controlled burning as a way of managing heather and vegetation on the Comeragh Mountains and argued that there needed to be a practical system which would allow this to happen safely and under proper supervision.

He called for the council to engage with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), farmers, landowners and the fire services to examine what could be done locally.

A passionate Cllr Brazil told the meeting, action to be taken now rather than waiting for another major fire.

He said the consequences of a change in wind direction during the July blaze could have been much more serious, with homes, livestock and wildlife potentially at risk.

The council’s Director of Services Dawn Wallace said the regulation of controlled burning falls under the remit of the NPWS.

She said the council would need to take advice on the matter, particularly given that the regulations come under the Wildlife Act, but agreed that representations could be made to the relevant authorities.

Following the discussion, councillors supported a proposal to write to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and seek a meeting involving farming representatives and local stakeholders.

The July fire prompted a major response from Waterford Fire Service, with crews operating in steep and difficult terrain around the Kilclooney and Coumshingaun areas. At the height of the incident, the council advised the public to stay away from the area while firefighting operations continued.