Anger over forest fire 'started by children'

Children were accused today of deliberately starting a forest fire in a forest park.

Two youngsters in their early teens were spotted starting five separate fires at Rourkes Park, near Annalong, Co Down last night, according to the emergency services.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said they have launched an investigation and are seeking the two youths, who were seen running from the scene after deliberately setting fires in gorse which spread and started a forest fire.

It was the latest in a series of fires in the Mountains of Mourne area of Co Down over the Easter holiday which the fire and rescue service said were started deliberately.

Hitting out at those behind the latest blaze, local fire chief Brian Irvine said the lives of his officers had been unnecessarily put at risk.

“We have been forced to put our men on the mountainside because people have deliberately lit fires.

“They might have thought it was a bit of a joke, but they are actually risking people’s lives,” he said.

It took fire crews with four appliances working through hours of darkness to halt the fires.

Meanwhile, the lifeboat a few miles away at Portaferry, Co Down, was launched when pranksters set off a distress flare, the RNLI revealed.

The Blue Peter V searched the pitch black waters of Strangford Lough between Portaferry and Castleward on Wednesday night before police established the rocket had been fired from the pier in Strangford in what was called “a stupid prank”.

Brian Bailie, the RNLI’s lifeboat operations manager in Portaferry, said that fortunately intentional false alarms were rare.

But he said: “When they happen, they are very expensive for the RNLI, which relies entirely on donations for its funds.

“They are also a complete waste of time for all our volunteers and are potentially dangerous.”

He said the joke could still be on whoever fired the rocket – there is a fine of up to £2,000 (€2,900).