An eight-year-old boy has described how a wildfire in the Mourne Mountains forced his family to change their walking route. The fire, which broke out near Hen, Cock and Pigeon Rock, eventually destroyed a huge area and may have been started deliberately.
Benjie, from County Down, was walking with his family when they first noticed smoke in the distance. 'It wasn't very much so we kept going,' he said. The unusually dry weather had left the grass crispy, with squelchy mud underneath. As they climbed higher, they saw a ring of flames and could hear the fire across the valley.
The family decided to head back and try the Bloody Bridge route on the other side of the mountains. However, on the way the sky became filled with smoke and they saw six more fires and 12 fire engines. They opted to play it safe and instead walked along the Shimna River in Tolleymore Forest Park.
Later, Benjie learned that the fires had continued for many days and destroyed a vast area. Forest officials said it could take decades for the landscape to recover and suspect the fires were started on purpose. 'I feel sad and angry about the damage to the wildlife,' Benjie said.
