A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a large gorse fire in the Mourne Mountains last night.
The large fire threatened homes, and at one point the operation to control it was declared a major incident.
The PSNI said the fire, which was ablaze in the Sandbank Road area of Hilltown, is being treated as having been ignited deliberately.
Road closures were in place overnight, with local diversions in place, but have now been lifted.
Police also assisted with the evacuation of nearby residents.
The PSNI said that following enquiries, a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences.
At its height, 100 firefighters and 15 appliances were tackling the blaze along a 3km front.
It involved a large area of gorse and forestry and was first reported at around 5pm between the villages of Hilltown and Rostrevor.
Hours later as it continued to spread and approached several properties it was declared a major incident.
A number of homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Difficult ground and high winds made it hard to contain and it was the middle of the night before it was brought fully under control.
“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” the fire services said in a statement.
Warnings had been in place about the fire risk due to the weather conditions and the police stepped up patrols in an attempt to counter the threat.
There has been a spate of such fires in the immediate area and across the wider region in recent weeks.
