Fires were started delibertely on Saturday night in a grassland area just off the Slievetrue Road in Carrickfergus.
Police say this is not the first time it’s happened in the area – a couple of weeks ago large fires were started in front of Knockagh Monument which firefighters from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service had to battle to extinguish.
Police say local people saw the fires and phoned for the emergency services.
The quick actions of the NIFRS meant damage was kept to a minimum, say police. They point out that given the dry weather for several weeks leading up to this, the fires could easily have had a devastating effect.
The pictures were taken by police on Sunday.
This area off the Slievetrue Road is home to many animals, insects, birds, plants and trees. Police point out that some of these take years to develop, but are being destroyed in seconds.
“Not only that but the area is very popular with people walking, kids, dog walkers and fishermen. The safety of all these people are put in danger by the outright stupid, selfish and uncaring actions of some who seek a thrill around fire,” said a police spokesperson.
“If you see someone acting suspiciously in these areas or indeed trying to start fires please alert us straight away. Likewise if you know who is lighting the fires please contact us. If one of these fires takes hold, not only will it destroy the forest but we may be dealing with something much more serious given the number of people who use the area,” added the spokesperson.
