Published date: 15 April 2016 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
HELP is being sought to curb a spate of seemingly deliberate fires at a site of scientific interest.
Natural Resources Wales is calling on residents to assist in preventing blazes at common land in Halkyn Mountain.
Several fires are believed to have been set deliberately on common land between the villages of Pentre Halkyn and Brynford.
Anyone caught starting a fire on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), such as Halkyn Mountain, without consent could be fined up to £20,000.
Natural resource management team leader, Wrexham and Flintshire, Anthony Randles said: “Halkyn Mountain is one of many sites we look after across Wales, where people can enjoy the beauty of our natural environment right on their doorstep.
“The area provides a home to a rich, diverse and valuable range of wildlife. Fires are particularly damaging in spring because they harm nesting birds and other wildlife such as butterflies, newts and snakes that thrive there at this time of the year.
“Uncontrolled wild fires can cause temporary loss of habitat and wildlife, while repeated burning can also damage the land for agriculture and conservation.”
Halkyn Mountain is home to rare grasslands and heathlands where species such as the great crested newt and other amphibians, are protected by European law.
It has been designated as an SSSI and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which Natural Resources Wales
(NRW) is responsible for protecting in Wales.
Business education and arson reduction team manager at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Kevin Jones said:“It is extremely disheartening to find that such incidents have been ignited deliberately.
“Deliberate fires place tremendous pressure on resources, with our crews tied up for a considerable length of time trying to bring them under control, which in turn delays firefighters from attending life threatening incidents.
“The potential for serious damage to our environment, often in sensitive areas, by the impact of countryside fires is a serious concern.”
Anyone with information on such crimes is advised to anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or contact 101.
see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/160972/plea-for-information-over-deliberate-fires-on-halkyn-mountain.aspx
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