In pictures: Mourne Mountains gorse fire engulfs the slopes of Slieve Donard

Firefighters are continuing to tackle a fierce blaze on steep slopes Slieve Donard.

The NI Fire and Rescue Service has declared the fire on the Mourne Mountains in County Down a "major incident".

Scenes unfolding in the area of outstanding natural beauty have been described as "deeply distressing".

There was hope on Friday morning that the gorse fire could be easily contained

Up to 70 firefighters negotiated challenging terrain to tackle the blaze

But easterly winds soon caused the fire to spread across the lower slopes of Slieve Donard, the Glen River Valley and Thomas Mountain

Smoke and flames could be seen from as far away as Belfast

Tributes have been paid to the "heroic work" of the emergency services

Fire appliances have been unable to reach the fire on the steep mountain slopes - firefighters have been beating the flames with shovels

Efforts to contain the blaze on Northern Ireland's highest mountain continued on Friday and Saturday

But as daylight faded on Friday, the severity of the fire was brought into sharp relief against the shadow of the mountains

The fire continued to burn as fire crews retreated overnight on Friday, ready to direct "significant resources" to the Mourne Mountains on Saturday

Police have urged the public to stay away from the area on Saturday to allow firefighters to concentrate on the blaze