Farmers and residents on Achill Island are demanding "immediate and coordinated action" from authorities after a sharp increase in dangerous roadside fires.

The Achill IFA Commonage Fire Watch Team, which has been active since 2023, has recorded 12 wildfires in the area over the past three years, with three already reported in 2025 alone.

Several of these fires came within metres of homes, posing a grave threat to lives, livelihoods, and biodiversity.

The most severe blaze occurred in 2023, when thousands of acres of grazing land, vital habitats, and rare flora and fauna were destroyed.

The fire, which originated from the roadside in Bunnacurry, became so dangerous that an entire local village was placed on evacuation alert.

It took the combined efforts of locals, the Achill Fire Brigade, and helicopter support to bring the blaze under control.

The group believes that evidence for the cause of the fires pointed to roadside ignition, particularly from cigarette butts discarded from passing vehicles.

However, it said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) responded by "penalising local farmers, cutting area payments and wrongly attributing blame".

“We’re not just losing farmland – these fires are putting entire villages at risk. These fires are avoidable, ” a spokesperson for the Achill IFA Commonage Fire Watch Team said.

"The facts are clear: they're starting on roadsides, mostly in dry conditions, and largely in areas with reduced roadside grazing and particularly where roadside maintenance has been scaled back in line with environmental protection guidelines, resulting in increased fire risk. We need action, not blame," they added.

Monitoring carried out by the team has identified a consistent pattern; the majority of fires are igniting along the main road between Mulranny and Bunnacurry on Achill Island, most often from midday through to the evening, regardless of whether the day is sunny or dull.

The group is calling for a public awareness, particularly among non-locals and people unfamiliar with the region’s high fire risk in dry months from late March through to late autumn.

They have appealed to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Mayo County Council, DAFM and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to erect signs on "high-risk roads".

“We need signs that catch attention and deliver a clear message: Don’t set our land on fire," the team said.

Without intervention, the IFA Commonage fire team has warned that it is only a matter of time before a fire causes a catastrophic loss of property, or worse locally.

"If this was happening near Dublin or Galway, it would have been addressed long ago. We’re demanding the same level of respect, protection, and responsibility for Achill Island and its people," the team said.