Member's statement: Mourne Mountains: Fires

Member's statement by Mr Andrew McMurray on 27 April 2026.

MLA

Mr Andrew McMurray

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

27 April 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Mourne Mountains: Fires

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5508139

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I will also speak about the wildfires that swept across the Mournes on Saturday. Although the word "wildfires" is in common parlance, and it is useful to a certain degree for conveying the image of what is taking place, they are not spontaneous combustion events. Any fire that takes hold in the Mournes begins with a deliberate act. Whether a fire is set with malicious or malevolent intent or through wilful ignorance and neglect, the end result is the same: destruction. I thank all those who were called on to respond to the fires. It is no exaggeration to say that, through the efforts of all the blue-light organisations, of voluntary and statutory bodies and of members of the public, no lives and no properties were lost. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service was on the hill for as long as it remained safe for it to do so and then returned at first light to continue to tackle the blaze. It worked tirelessly along the boundary wall of Donard Forest to ensure that the fire did not take hold in the area. Should we continue to see such fires being lit, I fear that a tragedy will befall us. I spoke to the residents who watched as the flames came within metres of their properties. I understand that motorhomes and caravans were evacuated from a site and that residents were told to have a bag packed should they be asked to leave. In the aftermath, I spoke to those who saw an ingress of trails of scorched earth at their properties. That is just the human element, however. I know that I am not allowed props, Mr Speaker, and I do not have any with me, but I keep a jam jar of ash from a previous fire. The fires have become so prevalent that I cannot even remember the exact year from which it comes. I keep it to remind me of the devastation that such incidents cause. I am not an expert botanist or an ecologist, but spring should be a time of renewal, nature and wildlife. Instead, we have devastation across swathes of land. Every year, after a dry spell in April, fires are lit, which then spread across our upland areas. The AERA Minister and his Department have brought forward a strategy and a plan to deal with such incidents. Work enabled by the strategy will go some way towards educating on behaviours and practices that will end these devastating fires. Should anyone have any information that is of relevance to the investigations, they should pass it on to the PSNI or Crimestoppers. That will allow the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the PSNI and the NIEA to complete their investigations into the incidents.

461 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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