A teenage boy has been arrested following a gorse fire on Cave Hill on Wednesday night.
The fire was reported at around 9.20 pm and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service continue to work to make the area safe again.
Firefighters monitored the blaze overnight and two specialist wildfire officers and a drone assessed it in the early hours of Thursday.
The teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson and is currently assisting police with our enquiries.
Chief Inspector Fox said: “Lighting uncontrolled gorse fires is highly irresponsible and has the potential to cause widespread damage to the environment and harm to wildlife, as well as threatening homes, farms and the people living in those areas.
“The unpredictability of fire can also mean that those causing them may be putting their own lives at risk as well as the lives of the fire service personnel and other emergency services tasked to deal with them.
“Police will be proactive in robustly investigating such reports and would urge landowners and members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police through 101, online or in an emergency 999.”
UUP North Belfast Assembly candidate Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston described the fire as "depressing".
"Once again North Belfast watches Cavehill burn.
"During a season that we often see new life flourish on our hill, we are instead witnessing and sadly hearing the malicious destruction of wildlife and its habitat. Depressing."
