Firefighters continue to tackle wildfires in Mourne Mountains

People are being asked to avoid areas of the Mourne Mountains as firefighters tackle a number of wildfires.

Firefighters are currently dealing with a wildfire at Sandbank Road, Hilltown and at Chimney Rock Mountain, Newcastle.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) is asking people to avoid both areas.

The fire at Sandbank Road has been ongoing for a number of days, while the blaze at Chimney Rock Mountain broke out yesterday.

There are currently about 30 firefighters at the scene at Chimney Rock.

People who are visiting the countryside on Wednesday are asked to remember to extinguish cigarettes and BBQs properly, avoid lighting open fires and not to leave litter behind, especially glass bottles.

The NIFRS is asking anyone who witnesses a fire to call 999 immediately.

Could patrols prevent wildfires?

On Monday, a Mourne Mountain Rescue team co-ordinator said the challenge with recurring wildfires is that "there are no consequences" for those responsible.

Martin McMullan said the fires in the mountains at the weekend "definitely didn't look like they started from a recreational source".

Andrew Muir, the environment minister, rejected claims of no consequences and said arsonists could face prison in some cases, but he added that the authorities need the public's help to bring them to justice.

Muir was asked if areas vulnerable to wildfires should be patrolled at this time of year to prevent future arson attacks.

"The Mournes and many other areas across Northern Ireland, including, for example the Sperrins, are very large geographic areas and we can't have individuals everywhere," Muir replied.

The minister said he had spoken to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and they had "issued a statement making it very clear that they will carry out investigations around this".

The roles were introduced in response to record visitor numbers in the Mournes during the Covid pandemic.

However, a lack of funding saw the number of those roles reduced, with the last engagement ranger leaving his post in December.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs published its wildfire action earlier this month.

It set out a coordinated response to what officials described as a growing threat.

It includes dozens of measures aimed at improving resilience and reducing the frequency and severity of fires.