An outbreak of fire on 9 and 10 April destroyed over 400 hectares of moorland as well as fringes of some of the oldest pockets of native woodland on the western side of Killarney National Park. The location is a very remote area of the park, in difficult and dangerous terrain, which made it difficult to access for the purposes of fighting the blaze. It is not possible to estimate the number and species of birds that might have been lost. While the nests of species such as wheatears, stonechats, meadow pipits, snipe, red grouse, woodcock and peregrine falcon may have been lost in the fire, it is considered unlikely that nesting birds were present because of the time of year. I understand that the terrain in question is not suitable as a habitat for pheasants and partridges. In view of a recent spate of fire outbreaks in Killarney National Park, Dúchas has asked the local Garda to investigate the matter.