Around 100 firefighters battling wildfires in Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains

Firefighting efforts continue overnight in the Mourne Mountains1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleHolly FleckBBC News NI Caleb EmersonFires had broken out at the Slievenaman Road and the Ballagh Road in Newcastle, and the Sandbank Road in Hilltown at the weekendFirefighting operations in the Mourne Mountains are expected to "continue across the week", the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) have said.Firefighters continue to tackle wildfires in the Ballagh Road, Newcastle, and Sandbank Road, Hilltown, areas of the mountains.On Monday afternoon, NIFRS said there had been about 95 firefighters in attendance at both incidents and the fire service reiterated their appeal for the public to avoid these areas.Some residents told BBC News NI earlier they had been told they may have to leave their homes.NIFRS group commander Barry Sands told BBC's Evening Extra the cause of the fire was still under investigation.At about 23:00 BST on Monday the fire service said the fire was contained but there would be appliances there overnight to ensure it does not spread.'I've been packing'It's been a worrying time for April McCarthyResident April McCarthy said she had been told to get her bag ready in case her home needed to be evacuated. "I've been packing a couple of bags, trying to get everything precious like photographs - it's difficult to do that quickly. You don't expect it to come to your door," she told BBC Newsline. "It's been building up but it finally moved over here and I don't think we've ever seen it this bad," she addedLocal farmer and conservationist Andrew Baird says at about 13:00 BST the smoke was so thick he could not seeLocal farmer and conservationist Andrew Baird said at about lunchtime the smoke was so thick he could not see out of his back door. "It was very heavy. I said: 'This fire is within the forest and we need to get it put out as there is a house within the forest.'"Looking towards Hilltown from Rathfriland on Monday night, a large swathe of the Mournes smouldered The fire service said that firefighters have responded to a number of other smaller wildfires in Belfast, Armagh, Lurgan and Rathfriland."As the weather warning for wildfires remains in place, NIFRS is reminding the public to stay vigilant to the risk of fire in the countryside. If you see a fire, call 999 immediately."'No consequences' for those causing wildfiresEarlier on Monday, a Mourne Mountain Rescue team co-ordinator said the challenge with recurring wildfires is that "there are no consequences" for those responsible.Martin McMullan said the fires in the mountains at the weekend "definitely didn't look like they started from a recreational source"."The areas where they started were almost inaccessible to the general public. This happens year after year... and there's no consequences for those that are undertaking these actions," McMullan said.Martin McMullan said the fires in the mountains at the weekend "definitely didn't look like they started from a recreational source"'Unpredictable'Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, McMullan said, from his point of view on Monday morning in Newcastle, the wildfires on the eastern side of the Mournes seemed to have "died down"."But that's not to say the fires in the western Mournes aren't still smouldering," he said."Fires like that at this time of the year can continue to burn for quite a period of time. "They don't just burn on the surface, they also burn into the…

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