Local firefighters are appealing to people to be careful not to start fires this weekend

People need to be careful not to start fires outside this weekend.

As an ‘orange fire risk’ warning has been issued by the Department of Agriculture after a couple of very dry months.

Firefighters have been out battling gorse fires on the Blackstairs Mountains every night for most of this week and they’re appealing to anyone who’s starting them deliberately to please stop.

Chairman of the Blackstairs Farming Group Martin Shannon says the people starting the fires are criminals and they will catch them: ”This is criminal behaviour and we will catch those who are doing this and the full rigour of the law will be put to them and plus costs to the damage caused.”