Mourne wildfires: Firefighters working 'tirelessly' to tackle fresh blaze

People are being asked to avoid areas of the Mourne Mountains as firefighters work "tirelessly" to tackle a blaze near Slieve Donard. Firefighters are currently dealing with a wildfire at Sandbank Road, Hilltown and at Chimney Rock Mountain, Newcastle. Elsewhere, 49 firefighters are tackling gorse fires in Loughermore Forest in Dungiven, County Londonderry. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said crews are "working hard to bring the incident under control". Wildfires have been raging in the Mourne Mountains for a number of days. Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme, NIFRS area commander Ryan Thompson said the fire at Chimney Rock is spreading towards Slieve Donard. "Our crews are working tirelessly there at the moment to stop it spreading onto Donard and to stop it spreading into the wider Mournes area," Thompson said. "This blaze has been one we've been monitoring because of the difficult access areas around Chimney Rock Mountain and it's one that has spread rapidly because of conditions today - weather conditions have improved, wind directions have changed and we are in prime fire conditions," he said. At the height of the incident, about 45 fi