There have been warnings about the 'devastating effects' the fires are having on communities
Fire crews in Wales were called out to more than 7,100 deliberate fires in the space of just a year, figures have shown.
It means firefighters had to attend an average of more than 19 deliberately-lit blazes each day in 2015-16 – diverting them from other potential emergencies.
In total crews in North and Mid and West Wales spent 98,783 minutes at those fires. That is the equivalent of almost 1,650 hours or 69 days.
Those figures, released by the Welsh Government, responding to a freedom of information request, were not requested for South Wales.
The majority of incidents – 4,812 – took place in South Wales, which includes Cardiff and the Vale, Newport and historic Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Bridgend.
Another 1,600 or so took place in Mid and West Wales – an area which covers Powys, the former county of Dyfed, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. The remaining 700 took place in North Wales.
The total was an increase of almost 11% on the previous year. South Wales accounted for almost all of that rise with its own figure leaping 16% in 12 months.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service last year revealed there had been a drop of 45% in grass fires between February and August compared to the same period in 2015 when hundreds were lit, scarring hillsides across the country.
“Arson and deliberate fires can put the lives of emergency services and members of communities at risk,” said Mid and West Wales’ deputy chief fire officer Mick Crenell, chair of an all-Wales anti-arson board.
“It is a crime that can carry heavy fines or even a prison sentence. Emergency services have to spend valuable time responding to deliberate fires which can leave other areas more vulnerable – we cannot be in two places at once.”
An aerial view of a grass fire next to the A470:
Station manager at the fire crime unit in South Wales, Mark Williams, added: “Deliberate fire setting has a devastating effect on our communities.
“Arson is not a victimless crime and is a criminal offence. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service fire crime unit are working with Gwent Police and South Wales Police to tackle the issue of deliberate fires as well as other partners such as Crimestoppers Wales.
“Arson across Wales cost our communities millions of pounds in damage every year and account for 72% of all our fire calls.
“We remind members of the public they can pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers Wales on 0800 555111 about people committing arson.”
The service’s head of joint fire control, Jennie Griffiths, thanked those who report instances of deliberate fires.
“Working together with our communities to raise awareness and highlight the problem will assist us to reduce deliberate fires. These fires are acts of arson that cause unnecessary damage and upset,” she said.
“Our crews will attend every incident but as you can see from our social media sites we are frequently required at life and property-saving incidents and if crews are tackling deliberate fires they cannot be elsewhere at the same time.”
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rise-deliberate-fires-wales-causes-12564973
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