Major gorse fire in NI started deliberately, fire service says

Firefighters in the operation against a huge gorse fire which spread across the Mourne Mountains in Co Down over the weekend (Department of Agriculture/PA)

The major gorse fire in the Mourne Mountains is believed to have been started deliberately, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has said.

The fire in the Slieve Donard area was declared a major incident by the fire service on Saturday and it took more than 100 firefighters until Sunday evening to get the blaze, which covered 3.5 square kilometres, under control.