Government urged to do more to protect vital Mournes landscape

Government urged to do more to protect vital Mournes landscape

16 April 2025

A LEADING organisation which champions the restoration of diverse and iconic landscapes has welcomed a PSNI commitment to prosecute those responsible for the recent wildfires in the Mournes.

A series of malicious blazes destroyed hundreds of acres land, leaving the iconic mountains facing another widespread environmental disaster.

Landscape NI says the recent fires ”devastated habitats and species” but also negatively impacted the people who live, work or enjoy iconic and designated landscapes.

The organisation said it is those who have deliberately ignited such fires who are responsible for the devastation and it is gratifying to see the PSNI taking such a proactive role to establish the cause and ultimately prosecute those culpable.

Landscape NI says it seems clear that most of the wildfires have been started deliberately and yet the focus of messaging is about visitors not using barbecues or lighting campfires.

“While that remains good advice, the message must be clear on reporting anyone who is deliberately igniting such devastating fires,” insists the organisation.

“Most of these fires have been on upland, ‘less favourable for agriculture’ lands and many, but not all, have taken place in designated sites and or landscapes or indeed on lands periphery to them.”

High winds fanned flames as the fire raced across gorse land at a frightening rate, with firefighters forced to retreat from the Bloody Bridge area on Sunday evening of last week when darkness fell and it simply became too dangerous to continue.

A number of residents were evacuated from their homes and a group of Duke Edinburgh Award students were taken down off the mountain as firefighters were stretched to the limit in the most challenging of conditions.

The last major fire in the Mournes in 2021 took three days to bring under control with the most recent blaze at the Bloody Bridge described as one of the worst the Fire and Rescue Service has dealt with in 25 years.

Fire and Rescue personnel remained at this part of the Mournes and Trassey Track overnight on Monday, with South Down MP Chris Hazzard calling for a “full and rigorous investigation” into the weekend fires.

Billowing smoke across a wide area was so intense that it was visible from satellites in space, with the fires in the Mournes declared a major incident by the emergency services.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she recognises the “incredible bravery and determination” of firefighters and the emergency services working tirelessly in the Mournes to protect lives and wildlife.

Stormont Environment Minister Andrew Muir — who visited the Mournes — described the wildfires as “rural arson” and issued a chilling warning that if the fires do not stop, homes could be burnt down and lives lost.

He also warned about the “serious environmental impact” the fires are having on the Mournes and its ecology.

Landscape NI says it is vitally important to recognise and protect those areas where wildlife is more abundant, where there are specific rare and endangered species or where the landscape is of extremely high aesthetic value. 

The organisation says such sites have other intrinsic values for the provision of clean water and for tourism and recreation, supporting local economies and employment.

Landscape NI chairman Geoff Nuttall, said there was increasing public recognition about the multi-functional benefits designated landscapes provide for nature, people and the planet.

“We need government to step up and resource appropriate management that ensures these amazing assets can provide benefits for generations to come,” he said.

“In Northern Ireland, we have lost over 50% of biodiversity from a 1970’s baseline and this is not on a trajectory of improvement despite the valiant efforts of those who are passionate about the importance of the natural environment and how it affects humankind.

“Our landscapes are not just about the visual sights of hills, water and woodlands, they are about the smells, sounds, feel and indeed tastes that can be gained from these areas.

“Smoke charred remains of heather, gorse and burnt peatlands are the polar opposite of what we need. Every year, if we get a dry spell in April – most of these fires are started deliberately and readily get out of control.”

He added: “There is a need for greater resource and flexibility to be able to manage land effectively, especially in designated areas, that can provide rich habitats for wildlife, facilitate the health and well-being of visitors and local people alike and provide a sustainable living for those who rely on them.”