Two children 'started NI forest fire'

Two teenagers were today accused of deliberately starting a fire in a Northern Ireland forest park.

Two teenagers were today accused of deliberately starting a fire in a Northern Ireland forest park.

The two were spotted starting five separate fires at Rourkes Park, near Annalong, Co Down, last night, according to the emergency services.

Police are seeking the two youths, who were seen running from the scene after deliberately setting fires in gorse that spread and started a forest fire.

It took fire crews with four appliances working through hours of darkness to halt the blaze.

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It was the latest in a series of fires in the Mountains of Mourne area of Co Down over the Easter holiday that the fire service said were started deliberately.

Local fire chief Brian Irvine said the lives of his officers had been unnecessarily put at risk. "We have been forced to put our men on the mountainside because people have deliberately lit fires."