People starting wildfires risk being charged with manslaughter – Muir

People who are maliciously starting wildfires in Northern Ireland are risking being charged with manslaughter, Environment Minister Andrew Muir has said.

Firefighters in Northern Ireland are braced for further wildfires having already tackled almost 150 blazes in three days.

Commanders at the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) have said the majority of the fires were started deliberately.

Mr Muir visited the Mourne Mountains in Co Down on Monday evening to see the extent of the damage caused by some recent fires.

He told the PA news agency: “I’ve got a clear message to the people of Northern Ireland, if you know who is deliberately setting these malicious fires you must report it to the police. If that is difficult for you, anonymously to Crimestoppers.

“To those that are thinking of going up the mountains to light fires – don’t.

“You are causing a catastrophic impact to our environment but also you are putting lives and people’s homes and farms at risk.

“It needs to stop.”

Mr Muir added: “People are coming into these mountains and they think it’s fun, it is not.

“You could end up being charged with manslaughter.

“This is the risk being put to lives in terms of this area.

“But also the environment – air quality, water quality, our nature and biodiversity, it is being destroyed.”

NIFRS area commander David Harbinson said an amber wildfire warning would remain in place until the end of the week, with the forecast for increasing temperatures in the region heightening concerns of further ignitions.

“We are anticipating that we could be busy and that’s down to the dry weather continuing,” said Mr Harbinson.

“I think later on in the week the temperatures are due to increase. With the temperature increases, then there is a greater risk. But what also happens with the temperature increase then is that makes the conditions for firefighters more arduous.”

The NIFRS said on Monday evening it was continuing to deal with “multiple wildfires burning across Northern Ireland”.

Six fire appliances and 33 firefighters are tackling a 1.5km fire front in the Bloody Bridge area of the Mournes.

In the nearby Slievenaman Road area, six fire appliances and 30 firefighters are tackling a 1km blaze.

Six appliances and 33 firefighters are at the scene of a wildfire in the Sawel Mountain area of Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, and 22 firefighters are continuing to deal with a blaze in the Carncullagh Road area of Dervock, Co Antrim.

The 146 wildfires responded to from Friday to Sunday included a huge blaze in the Hilltown area near the Mourne Mountains in Co Down, which fire commanders described as one of the most significant they have had to deal with for years.

A major incident was declared as firefighters tried to contain the fire.

At the height of operations, 15 fire appliances and more than 100 firefighters worked in difficult conditions and high winds throughout Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday to tackle the gorse fire.

As a precaution a number of residents were evacuated from their homes in the Sandbank and Kilbroney roads while the fire was brought under control.

A 25-year-old man arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire was later released on bail.

Across the weekend, significant wildfires also took hold in the Ben Crom and Silent Valley areas in the Mourne Mountains.

On Monday, firefighters continued to tackle another gorse fire on the mountainside at Bloody Bridge outside Newcastle, Co Down.

Mr Harbinson warned that the fire could escalate.

“The early indication is potentially that the incident may escalate in terms of our resourcing in order to deal with that,” he told PA at the scene on Monday afternoon.

“But it’s too early to forecast, but that’s the early indications of where we may be going.”