NIFRS Appeal for Community Support as Amber Wildfire Weather Warning Continues
An amber weather warning remains in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is appealing for the public to stay vigilant to the risk of fire in the countryside at this time.
Firefighters are currently in attendance at wildfires in the Silent Valley and Ben Crom area of Newcastle and are expected to be at the scene throughout the day.
Since midnight on Thursday 3 April to midnight on Saturday 5 April, NIFRS received 741 calls into its Regional Control Centre.
Commenting on the incident in the Sandbank Road area of Hilltown last night, NIFRS Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Aidan Jennings said: “At 5pm on Saturday 5 April, NIFRS were mobilised to a significant wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown.
“This was subsequently declared as a major incident.
“At the height of operations 15 fire appliances and over 100 firefighters worked together with our partner agencies, in difficult conditions and high winds throughout the night to bring the large wildfire under control.
“As a precaution a number of residents were evacuated from their homes on the Sandbank and Kilbroney roads, whilst the fire was brought under control.
“At approximately 3.00am (Sunday 6 April) resources began scaling back. The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate ignition.”
“These incidents are not only challenging and physically demanding for our Firefighters, it is extremely resource intensive. However we are reassuring the public that we have contingency plans in place and are continuing to respond to incidents should the public need us.
“I would like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our Firefighters, control room operators and support employees who have worked tirelessly in recent days to ensure the safety of our community across Northern Ireland, including our partner agencies.”
***
Nesbitt commends emergency response to gorse fires
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has commended the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) for their efforts in tackling serious wildfires.
Hundreds of firefighters and support staff have been involved in the emergency response to gorse fires across Northern Ireland, including in the Mournes this weekend.
The Minister said: “The gorse fires are damaging our environment and putting significant pressure on our Fire Service which is maintaining normal service delivery while dedicating considerable resources to the wildfires.
“I am grateful to NIFRS for handling the response so effectively and for the tireless efforts of the fire crews who work in extreme circumstances, often in quite remote areas, to bring the fires under control and keep people safe.
“And I know that there are many others across NIFRS who work hard behind the scenes to support the operational response.
“I also want to thank the Police Service of Northern Ireland whose officers have worked closely with NIFRS to put traffic measures in place and have helped residents who had to leave their homes in the affected areas.”
An Amber warning remains in place for wildfires across Northern Ireland. NIFRS are asking the public to remain particularly vigilant to the risk of fire.
Minister Nesbitt added: “Not only are these wildfires damaging the environment and wildlife, they’re also putting people’s homes, farms and lives at risk. I would appeal to people to be particularly careful when it comes to fire safety, especially in the countryside. Fires like this can be prevented but only if we all do our part.
 is appealing){kind=link}