NIFRS appeal for community support as amber wildfire 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 on Saturday 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.”

Please adhere to the following advice to prevent fires in the countryside:

• Avoid using open fires in the countryside. An open fire can easily get out of control.

• Extinguish cigarettes and other smoking materials properly and don’t throw cigarette ends on the ground or out of car windows.

• Only use barbeques in a suitable and safe area and never leave them unattended.

• Ensure barbeques are fully extinguished and cold before disposing of their contents.

• Don’t leave bottles or glass in woodland or grassland. Take them home or dispose in a waste or recycling bin.

• Be considerate in parking vehicles so you don’t impede access for emergency vehicles.

• Keep children away from lighters, matches and open fires.

• Don’t attempt to tackle fires that can’t be extinguished with a bucket of water – leave the area as quickly as possible.

• If you see a fire in the countryside, report it to NIFRS immediately by calling 999.

• If you see someone setting fires, report it to the PSNI.