The new All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), launched by Carlow County Fire and Rescue Service and Carlow County Council, is a specialised 4×4 vehicle fuelled by hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO).
As fire crews battle a huge blaze in Slievenamon in Tipperary for a third day, it highlights the need to continue to invest in technology and training to tackle wildfires across the country.
Fire engines carry 1,800 litres of water but are heavy vehicles and can only access locations that are hardstanding.
Now, firefighters can deploy this ATV, traverse quickly to tackle the flames and return to the fire engine if necessary for a water refill.
It is among the first to be used by a fire service in the country and will be employed alongside cutting-edge equipment, drone and VR (virtual reality) training technology.
The crew at Bagenalstown Fire Station has received specialised off-road training to drive the ATV, which is equipped with a 250-litre water tank, fire pump and a 50m hose with fire nozzle with a reach of 20 metres.
“In Carlow, we have had to deal with yearly fires up Mount Leinster and across the Blackstairs mountains,” said Acting Chief Fire Officer Ben Woodhouse.
“We can deploy this vehicle offroad and it can carry three firefighters and 250 litres of water – about the equivalent of 28 minutes of water.
“Our firefighters would traditionally have had to walk a long area with less than a tenth of this vehicle’s water capacity in a 20-litre backpack.”
The ATV will work alongside other new technology to fight wildland fires, including Backpack Blowers and Thermal Imaging Drones.
“Introducing drones means we can survey large areas very quickly,” explained Mr Woodhouse.
“We can get the drone up in minutes to find the fire and aid the navigation of the ATV to the area, while maintaining aerial top cover to monitor fire direction and firefighter safety.
“This combined approach is quite progressive compared to what we would have done originally, which is drive around with binoculars trying to locate the fire.”
The Acting Chief Fire Officer said it is important to keep learning about this threat to Ireland’s rural landscape.
“The nature of climate change means that wildfires are going to be more frequently occurring in Ireland, which is why we need to improve training and our methods and capabilities of tackling wildfires”.
“There is very limited wildland firefighting training in Ireland. Historically, we wouldn’t have had many fires due to our climate, but that is now changing and has become a new challenge for fire services.
“Carlow County Council sent four officers to attend a specialised Wildland and Forestry Firefighting Course in Poland in June, to look at new training, tactics and equipment.
“They heard from officers across the world, including locations such as Spain and California, where they have extensive experience of dealing with wildland and forestry fires.”