Cause of Mournes gorse fire 'deliberate ignition'

Firefighters from across Northern Ireland were deployed to the Mournes to help battle the gorse fire. Credit: NIFRS

The cause of a gorse fire in the Mourne mountains is believed to have been deliberate ignition, the fire service has said.

It confirmed that the blaze at Bloody Bridge, above Newcastle, Co. Down, was extinguished at around 1.30pm on Thursday.

At the height of the incident six fire engines and a specialist wildlife team were in attendance.

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Footage shows devastating blaze on Mourne Mountains

In a post on social media, NIFRS thanked the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Mourne Heritage Trust for their support during the operation.

It is one of a number of wildfires that have been seen in recent days.

Firefighters tackled the blaze with beaters. Credit: NIFRS

The Mournes were also devastated by a blaze last April.

Over 100 firefighters tackled the blaze last year with a major incident being declared.