Firefighters put out Mourne Mountains gorse fire

Firefighters have put out a gorse fire near Spelga Dam in the Mourne Mountains.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue service (NIFRS) received a report of the blaze at 18:39 BST on Monday. About four acres of gorse was on fire.

Twenty-eight firefighters were sent to the scene, with three fire engines, two Land Rovers and a water tanker.

The Kilkeel Road and Slievenaman Road in Hilltown, County Down were closed for a time due to the fire but have since reopened, police have said.

Firefighters declared the incident over at 22:58 BST on Monday.

The blaze was the latest in a string of fires in the area.

Last week, a number of fires were dealt with by firefighters on Slieve Binnian.

There were two other blazes in the area, one near Silent Valley and another near Castlewellan, in County Down.

The fire near Castlewellan is believed to have been started deliberately.

Last month, the Natural Hazards Partnership issued an amber warning for wildfires in Northern Ireland.

It said that dry and breezy conditions heightened the risk of a blaze.