Following five recent instances of fires in the Mourne Mountains, NI Water is highlighting the extreme risk of catastrophic damage wildfires bring to the environment, habitats, wildlife and drinking water.

The water company temporarily closed its Silent Valley Mountain Park for several days due to the proximity of the reservoir to the ongoing wildfires.

When a wildfire occurs it also removes the primary layer of vegetation, leaving the burned bare soil exposed to erosion. This then makes its way into the reservoirs which is treated to become drinking water - requiring a lot of resource and expertise to remove at the water treatment stage.

Commenting on the recent wildfires, NI Water Catchment Officer Becca Allen said:

“Five recent instances of fires in the Mourne Mountains are a stark reminder of the extreme risk of catastrophic damage wildfires an cause. It’s only because of quick actions of NIFRS and wind conditions that the fires were able to be contained.

“NI Water teams work hard to deal with the risk and problems wildfires can bring to our water catchment areas, including the Mournes, to ensure customer tap water is always of a very high quality.”