Galway Bay fm newsroom - Several arrests have been made, and more are imminent after the Loughrea region narrowly avoided a Cloosh Valley-style disaster.
Gardaí are issuing a stark warning for the bank holiday weekend after fires were set on Coillte-owned land in the Derrybrien and Kileenadeema areas.
It's estimated that if a blaze had taken hold, it could potentially have resulted in hundreds of millions of euro worth of damage.
Gardaí in Loughrea say more arrests are imminent, as they believe the fires were set deliberately.
The blazes were reported in a number of woodland areas over the past six weeks.
In one case, a fire was set late in the evening and Gardaí believe the culprits left the scene.
They say quick-thinking locals saw the fire, and managed to extinguish it before it took hold.
The area of forestry concerned spans over 23,000 hectares, and is home to a major windfarm, several houses, and protected wildlife.
Coillte told Gardaí that the fire could potentially have caused hundreds of millions of euro worth of damage.
Gardaí are appealing to locals and people who may be out walking in the Loughrea area this bank holiday weekend to be extra vigilant.
Members of the public are being urged to report any suspicious activity, and to note the registration numbers of any cars which may not be from the locality.
