The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is reminding the public to protect our countryside from wildfires.
The appeal comes as further dry weather and windy conditions are anticipated this week. A NIFRS spokesperson said such fires are commonly caused by human behaviour and are preventable. If you see a fire in the countryside, call 999 immediately, they added.
It follows a large fire in the Mournes area on Monday. Six fire appliances attended the scene of the blaze on the Altnadua Road outside of Castlewellan, Co Down. The incident was declared over at 12.30am on Tuesday morning, March 18.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service was called to the area at around 6.42pm on Monday, March 17 after reports of a large fire.
Issuing the public appeal on Tuesday, NIFRS Group Commander Paul Morrow said: “Every year our Fire & Rescue Service is faced with fires in the countryside. These fires can be unpredictable and spread fast, especially during dry weather.
“Not only does this have a devastating impact on our environment and wildlife but it puts people’s lives at risk. The severity of the incidents puts an added pressure on our Service and partner agencies who are working in extreme, high temperatures to put wildfires out.
“Very often these fires are started deliberately. Purposely setting a wildfire is a criminal offence. If you see someone intentionally setting a fire please report it immediately by calling 999.
“The responsibility of preventing fires belongs to all of us and we all need to do our part in protecting our beautiful countryside and green spaces. Please avoid using open fires and extinguish smoking materials, barbeques, camping fires and any other type of flame.”
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English (United States) ·