Large gorse fire engulfs Mourne Mountains landscape

Fire crews are dealing with a large gorse fire in the Mourne Mountains near Newcastle, Co Down.

They were called to the scene at Bloody Bridge in the early hours of Friday.

Northern Ireland's Fire and Rescue Service have urged people to stay away from both the Bloody Bridge area and Donard Forest.

"We would request that the public avoid the Glen River and Bloody Bridge River access points this weekend due to the ongoing incident and potential for further fires in the extremely dry conditions."

In a statement, NI Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said there was potential for further fires over the weekend with good weather expected to continue.

"We would ask the public to exercise due care and vigilance in relation to fire safety if out in the countryside during this current dry spell."

First Minister Arlene Foster shared her gratitude for the NIFRS: "This is devastating & tragic. The impact on wildlife and flora is unimaginable. Full support to those battling the flames."

Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard thanked the NIFRS for their hard work throughout today and called for support for local agencies.

"Huge thanks to NIFRS for ongoing effort to tackle #Mournes wildfire today...Local agencies need urgent help from central govt to effectively deal with increasing wildfire problem."

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• mourne mountain
• northern ireland fire and rescue