A LOCAL councillor has warned of the dangers of deliberate gorse fires after the Fire Service were called to deal with a blaze in the Lagmore area at the weekend. 

Fire fighters were called to deal with the incident at the glen adjacent Lagmore Avenue in West Belfast on Saturday. 

The incident came less than 24 hours after the Fire Service was called to deal with a devastating inferno that has swept the Mourne Mountains. Up to 12 pumping appliances tackled the gorse fire that reached its 850 meter peak. 

Commenting on the West Belfast incident, Sinn Féin Councillor Danny Baker urged young people to be mindful of the risks involved in setting fires.

"The fire brigade were that quick to respond that it didn't really spread too far but I would ask kids not to engage in that silliness because one of these times it's going to lead to somebody getting seriously hurt," he said.

"It's every summer now. Not so much last year because of Covid and there weren't so many people about, but the year before that we were tortured. At one stage me and a couple of residents had our own spades ready to put the fires out rather than always calling the fire brigade because it was four and five times a day we were dealing with it.

"We don't wish to call on resources from the Fire Service when there could be another call coming in like a house fire and somebody could be left vulnerable. The young ones involved need to realise the danger, not just to themselves, but to their community."

With bird nesting season now upon us, Cllr Baker also warned of the impact on local wildlife. 

"In Lagmore we live on a mountain and there are a lot of creatures and animals that live here with us, especially in the glen, so that is another worry - they're disrupting the wildlife," he added.