Articlave gorse blaze was started deliberately

A large gorse fire in County Londonderry was started deliberately, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has said.

Fire crews were called to the blaze at Ballyhackett viewpoint near Articlave at about 18:17 GMT on Thursday.

Approximately 35 firefighters and five appliances were involved in tackling the mile-long fire before it was brought under control.

There were no reports of any homes or forestry being affected by the blaze.

NIFRS Area Commander Mark Smyth told BBC News NI gorse fires are not unusual during the winter months.

Aeriel pictures showed the extent of the gorse fire

"We normally deal with a number of gorse fires in winter. Whilst it is very cold, there hasn't been a lot of rain, and therefore vegetation is very dry at this time.

"With the cold, dry spell and the strong south easterly winds, it is actually ideal burning conditions. Once it starts it is very hard to stop," he said.

"It was exceptional work by the crews to bring this under control in the way they did," he added.

With similar conditions forecast for the next few days, controlled burning should be given careful consideration, he said.

"The message is simple, please be very, very careful. If you are doing it, do it early in the day and let us know," Commander Smyth added.