Mourne fire believed to be 'deliberate' - fire services

A large fire which threatened homes in the Mourne Mountains in Co Down last night is believed to have been started deliberately, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has said.

At one point the operation to control it was declared a major incident.

At its height, 100 firefighters and 15 appliances were tackling the blaze along a 3km front.

It involved a large area of gorse and forestry and was first reported at around 5pm between the villages of Hilltown and Rostrevor.

Hours later as it continued to spread and approached several properties it was declared a major incident.

A number of homes were evacuated as a precaution.

Difficult ground and high winds made it hard to contain and it was the middle of the night before it was brought fully under control.

"The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate," the fire services said in a statement.

Warnings had been in place about the fire risk due to the weather conditions and the police had stepped up patrols in an attempt to counter the threat.

There has been a spate of such fires in the immediate area and across the wider region in recent weeks.