A gorse fire in Co Down is believed to have been started deliberately.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said they are treating the blaze in Newcastle as "deliberate ignition".
Fire crews spent more than three hours on Thursday tackling the blaze near Moneyscalp Wood, close to the Mourne Mountains.
Members of the public were asked to avoid the area.
We attended a gorse fire near Moneyscalp Wood, Newcastle at 3pm yesterday. Fire Crews from Rathfriland, Banbridge, Kilkeel, Newcastle, Downpatrick & Lisburn were in attendance. The fire was dealt with by 6.21pm & the cause is believed to be deliberate ignition. pic.twitter.com/10S3BxCrDn
— Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (@NIFRSOFFICIAL) April 21, 2023
In an update issued on Friday, the NIFRS said: "We attended a gorse fire near Moneyscalp Wood, Newcastle at 3pm yesterday.
"Fire crews from Rathfriland, Banbridge, Kilkeel, Newcastle, Downpatrick and Lisburn were in attendance.
"The fire was dealt with by 6.21pm & the cause is believed to be deliberate ignition."
The latest blaze in the Mournes area follows a large gorse fire close to Spelga Dam last month, which remains the subject of an NIFRS investigation.
On Thursday the NIFRS also revealed they had tackled a total of 1,239 preventable fires last year.
