Firefighters tackle 300 gorse fires in three weeks
- Published
Firefighters battled a fire at Barony Road, Mountfield, Omagh earlier this month
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has dealt with 300 grassland or gorse fires in the last three weeks, most of which, it said, have been started deliberately.
The figures come as firefighters continue to battle a gorse fire in Altrichard Road in Ballycastle, County Antrim.
Crews were called to the scene at about 13:00 BST on Tuesday.
Another gorse fire on Islandboy Road has been put out.
Fifteen fire appliances and 70 firefighters were deployed to both incidents.
Nine fire appliances and about 50 firefighters continue to deal with the fire at Altarichard Road in 鈥渉igh winds and difficult terrain鈥.
The cause of both fires is under investigation.
A spokesman for the NIFRS said that 鈥渢hese kinds of fires unnecessarily draw our resources away from where they are needed most - protecting our community".
He asked the public not to add on 鈥渁dditional pressure鈥 to the service.
On Tuesday the Department of Agriculture and the NIFRS asked farmers and the public for their help during the current dry weather spell.
鈥淭he hot and dry weather has left the countryside vulnerable to fires caused by burning of vegetation or waste and littering and dumping of waste materials could put our emergency services under more pressure,鈥 a statement said.
Almost always started 鈥榙eliberately鈥 or 鈥榬ecklessly鈥
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots also urged the public not to 鈥渟tart a fire in the countryside鈥.
鈥淲ildfires are rarely natural. They are almost always started either deliberately, or by reckless burning or disposal of flammable vegetation or waste material,鈥 he said.
The NIFRS has put together the following advice if you see a fire in the countryside:
Report it immediately to the NIFRS
Do not attempt to tackle fires that cannot be put out with a bucket of water
Leave the area as soon as possible
If you see someone setting fires, report it to the PSNI
If you do know people who are fire setting, let the PSNI know to assist with prosecutions
If you are in the countryside:
Extinguish cigarettes and other flammable materials properly
Never throw cigarette ends out of car windows
Avoid using open fires in the countryside