A major incident has been declared after a wildfire broke out close to the Mourne Mountains in County Down.
100 firefighters have been battling the blaze, which broke out in the Hilltown area at about five o'clock yesterday evening - with flames covering a three kilometre area.
Members of the public are being urged to avoid the area.
Sky Watch NI were tasked to a large gorse fire near Hillstown by @NIFRSOFFICIAL .
There were 14 fire appliances and diggers on scene to create a fire break.
This has since been declared a major incident and expected to continue through the night. pic.twitter.com/QzWhkuenwF
— Sky Watch NI (@SkyWatchNI) April 6, 2025
Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.
On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland's fourth wildfire this week, while Moors Valley Country Park in Dorset was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.
Friday was the UK's warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23°C, according to the Met Office.
The weather conditions triggered a "severe" wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.
Main image: Emergency services. Credit: Graham Hunt/Alamy Live News. 3rd April 2025.
