Police say the arsonists who started gorse fires at Fivemiletown at the weekend put lives and property at risk.

Inspector Keith Jamieson of the PSNI is appealing to the public to identify those responsible.

“Gorse fires have the potential to cause widespread damage to the environment and harm to wildlife, as well as threatening homes and farms in the area,” he warned.

“The unpredictability of fire can also mean that those setting them may be putting their own lives at risk as well as the lives of the fire service personnel and other emergency services tasked to deal with them. There can also be untold consequences to tying up crucial emergency resources that may be needed elsewhere,” he pointed out.

A number of the fires raged in the Mullaghfad area.

“We are asking for the community’s help in identifying those involved in these recent incidents,” said Inspector Jamieson. “Officers can be contacted on the new non-emergency number 101.” A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has appealed to the public to be vigilant during drier weather and to help protect the countryside from fire this spring and summer.

“Fighting wildland fires also means resources are diverted away from other duties and NIFRS has to ensure continued cover for towns and villages across Northern Ireland by using contingency plans to maintain emergency cover. While many fires are clearly started deliberately - and we would ask the public to report any suspicious behaviour to the police immediately - there are a number of measures to take that will help prevent others being caused by accident. Fires can start easily and spread quickly causing wide-spread damage to the natural and build environment as well as local wildlife,” the spokesman added