Wildfire near Spelga Dam in Mournes due to ‘deliberate ignition’

Firefighters have said they believe the cause of the latest wildfire in the Mourne Mountains, near Spelga Dam, was “deliberate ignition”.

Numerous wildfire incidents have had to be dealt with during the recent spell of warm, dry weather, which can lead to conditions ripe for blazes to spread.

Six fire appliances were needed to tackle the latest wildfire on Sunday, with crews using beaters to try to bring it under control.

A watching brief was maintained overnight, before the incident was finally fully resolved shortly before 10.30am on Monday.

At its height, the gorse fire covered approximately 10 acres of land.

It comes after other recent wildfires in the Mournes, and at Cave Hill and Black Mountain in Belfast.

The NI Fire and Rescue Service has already warned that lives could be put at risk as a result of the increased pressure wildfires put on resources.