‘Be vigilant’ urges NI Water as Natural Hazards issue Yellow Wildfire Warning

The Natural Hazards Partnership issued the warning as the fine and dry weather is set to continue this week.

The Mournes are no stranger to wildfires, with news only yesterday that firefighters had extinguished a blaze that started at the foothills of the Mourne Mountains.

NI Water is appealing to the public to be vigilant when visiting the Mournes and advise that wildfires not only pose a risk to human life, wildlife, property and the environment, but also to our drinking water catchment areas.

NI Water Catchment Liaison Officer, Rebecca Allen, said: “Breezy conditions will exacerbate the potential for any wildfires to spread and stronger winds will also bring a threat of severe wildfire conditions and potential difficulty in controlling wildfires.

“Many areas which might be prone to wildfires such as the Mourne Mountains are also areas which provide our drinking water. While these places are great to visit and very picturesque, it’s important for visitors to remember that these areas provide drinking water.

“Work still continues to restore the habitat from the fires in the Mourne Mountains in April 2021. NI Water has been part of that huge conservation effort and four years on we have all come so far, we don’t want to see all the years of hard work undone.

“Activities such as littering, using disposable BBQs and burning waste increases the risk of wildfires, so special care therefore must be taken.”

Some do’s and don’ts:

- Do not light fires in and around forests or open land

- Do not attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances;

- If you see a fire, gather all family/group members and move to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire

- Telephone the NI Fire and Rescue Service on 999 and report the fire and its location

- Evacuate if instructed to do so, and cooperate with all Emergency Service Instructions

- If you see someone deliberately setting fires, report it to the PSNI immediately as it is a criminal offence

Some friendly advice when enjoying your time in the countryside:

- Leave no trace; please take your rubbish with you

- Never fly-tip waste material

- Extinguish cigarettes and other flammable materials properly

- Never throw cigarette ends out of car windows

- Avoid using open fires