Firefighters tackle forest blaze as Mourne wildfires under control

Firefighters are dealing with a large blaze at a forest in County Londonderry - however, fires in County Down have now been dealt with.

Over the weekend, major fires broke out in the Mourne Mountains in County Down, with some smaller fires reported elsewhere.

After five days the Northern Ireland and Fire Rescue Service (NIFRS) said those in the Mournes are under control but it is still present at Loughermore Forest in Dungiven.

It comes after a wildfire warning was issued across Northern Ireland amid dry conditions.

The Dungiven blaze started late on Wednesday evening and 49 firefighters attended.

NIFRS Western area commander David Doherty said crews withdrew temporarily overnight for safety reasons.

"We are using a drone team to ascertain the scale of the fire, there are several large fire fronts on this fire," he told North West Today.

"It is too early to say but in our experience this will be a fairly protracted incident."

He added that due to the terrain, the firefighters were unable to get their appliances close enough to pump water in so they are having to beat the fire out with shovels.

Local residents have been advised to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid the area.

At midday on Thursday 30 firefighters were at the scene, the fire service said, adding they were tackling a fire front of about 500m (1,640 ft).

Wildfires had also been raging in the Mourne Mountains for a number of days.

In an update on Thursday morning, NIFRS said with the exception of one water pump, fire teams are no longer tackling the blazes in the Mournes.

Vincent McAlinden, who lives and works in the area, said both land for grazing and recreational use has been burnt.

"There's thousands of hectares have now been incinerated and that's devastating," he told Good Morning Ulster on Thursday.

McAlinden, who is a Mourne Mountains West Trustee and Conservationist, added it was impossible to know how the fires are starting.

"We've asked a few times in terms of fire forensics, but it's just impossible," he said.

"Unless you're there at that time and you see a person burning stuff."

An NIFRS spokesperson said at its height, more than 80 firefighters were involved in tackling a wildfire in the Ballagh Road area of the Mournes which expanded to cover about 1,000 hectares.

"The cause of the fire is believed to have been deliberate ignition," they said.

Earlier this week, 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.

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

• 22 April: A wildfire warning is issued across Northern Ireland after a spell of dry weather
• 25 - 26 April: Multiple fires break out in the Mourne Mountains, including Sandbank Road (Hilltown) and areas near Newcastle, with smaller fires elsewhere
• 27–29 April: Firefighting continues; Ballagh Road is dealt with, and further fires are tackled including Chimney Rock and Crossmaglen
• 30 April: Fires at Sandbank Road, Chimney Rock and Crossmaglen are all dealt with, though crews remain at a separate blaze in Dungiven