Mourne Mountains: ‘Major’ fires on slopes of Northern Ireland’s tallest peak

Blazes at one of country’s ‘most beautiful landmarks’ expected to have ‘unimaginable’ impact on wildlife

Firefighters in Northern Ireland are battling “major” gorse fires in the Mourne Mountains, close to the town of Newcastle.

The public has been urged to stay away from the town-facing slope of the country’s tallest peak, Slieve Donard, as dramatic images showed the fires burning above the seaside resort below.

“This is devastating and tragic. The impact on wildlife and flora is unimaginable. Full support to those battling the flames,” said Northern Ireland’s first minister, Arlene Foster.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said on Saturday morning that they were escalating their efforts in the Mournes, and described a “large number of resources” in attendance at the blaze, which began in the small hours of Friday morning.

More than 100 firefighters and 12 appliances from across Northern Ireland were supported by police, the Coastguard, Mourne Rescue Team, the Forestry Service, National Trust, and Sky Watch Patrol.

Aidan Jennings, assistant chief fire and rescue officer, said with the warm weather expected to continue, the conditions are perfect to allow wildfires to start and spread quickly.

There had been hope the fires in County Down could be contained on Friday, however light winds spread the flames, said Colin McGrath, an SDLP assembly member at Stormont.

“By the afternoon of Friday there were some 60 brave firefighters doing their best to maintain the blaze, with the smoke visible from as far away as Downpatrick,” he said.

“I pay tribute to their bravery and determination. Sadly, this will not only have a devastating impact on the natural landscape but the local economy of Newcastle that relies so heavily on the tourist product we associate with the Mournes.”

The operation to tackle the fires – at Slieve Donard, the Glen River Valley and Thomas Mountain – is expected to be ongoing across Saturday, a Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson said.

“Police would ask that all members of the public avoid the Newcastle area, in particular Trassey Road, Bloody Bridge, Tollymore Forest Park and Donard Carpark to ensure NIFRS have full accessibility to these areas,” they said.

“We understand many people will have made plans to walk the Mournes today but we would ask that you reschedule as you will be turned away upon arrival.”

Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis described the scenes as “deeply distressing” at one of the region’s most beautiful landmarks, lamenting the fires’ “tragic” impact on the local environment.

He paid tribute to the “heroic” firefighters at the scene.

The mountains are an important protected habitat for various flora and fauna.

“Ground nesting birds and insects will have been badly affected,” said the BBC’s Northern Ireland environment correspondent, Conor Macauley, warning that the speed of their recovery would depend upon how deeply the fire has penetrated the peat.

He noted that upland areas such as these have “huge potential to store carbon” and have “been described as our equivalent of the rainforest”.

Additional reporting by PA